Accident Exposure
by Chub
Summary: A shopping trip leads to one sister critical in hospital and the magic of all three exposed. DISCONTINUED
1. The attack

*****Accident Exposure*****  
  
A/N: Well this is my new story and is set about 3 years after series 5, but Leo didn't leave. It hasn't really got anything to do with my other story 'Angels Fall Without You There' except the children have the same names because I liked them! Oh yeah and all Charmed related things that appear in the story, and that you recognize belong to Aaron Spelling, Constance M Burge and co.  
  
On with the story..  
  
~*Chapter 1*~  
  
Piper, Phoebe and Paige were in a local baby shop looking for clothes. Piper was 6 months pregnant with her third child. Wyatt, 3 and Melinda 1, were at the manor with Leo and Alex-Paige's new husband. Paige and Alex lived next door to the manor, in Dan's old house and Phoebe had moved out of the manor too, on the news of the new arrival. She now lived opposite the ancestral home.  
  
The shop was on a busy main street. Its front was one big window, enabling people on the pavement to see the entire interior of the store. The sisters had been shopping for about 3hours and this was their last stop before lunch. They were looking at some new clothes for Melinda.  
  
"Oh Piper this is so cute! You have to get it for her" Phoebe was almost squealing as she picked an outfit off the shelf.  
  
"She's right; Melinda would look adorable in it!!" Paige put the outfit with the other clothes they'd picked out when a high pitched scream that came from the back of the shop, ripped through the air.  
  
The 3 of them turned their attention to the direction of the noise. Towards the back of the shop and standing about 8ft tall, was a demon. He was built like a human but had a face that was the deepest blue imaginable, with blood red markings and coal black eyes. Its sinister mouth showed double rows of pointed yellow teeth. Its hands were big; about the size of a car wheel and the same blue as its face, but this time the color was translucent, showing red bones underneath. Its nails were black and claw like. He thrust out his hand and aiming at the nearest person to him, threw a trail of fire. It was the woman's scream as she dived out of the way that alerted the girls that the shop was very full and all the customers were shouting, none of them understanding what was going on.  
  
"Piper- freeze the shop!" Phoebe shouted over the chaos as the demon aimed its rampage towards tem.  
  
"But the window..." Piper protested.  
  
"Just do it!!"  
  
Okay, okay" and with a flick of her wrists, the demon, the scared customers.everything inside the shop but the three of them, was frozen. Out on the street, though, shoppers still walked up and down. It was a Saturday and it seemed like the whole of San Francisco had picked the same street to shop on. Freezing it all would have taken a lot out of Piper, and even if she could do it, it would have been to risky incase someone came round the corner.  
  
"Okay-so what no?" Paige asked her sisters.  
  
"I dunno. Can't you just blow him up?" Phoebe asked Piper.  
  
"No. flame throwing is an upper level demonic power, he'd be too strong."  
  
"Paige, can you astral and see if this guy's in the book" Phoebe asked her younger sister, referring to Paige's new power of Astral Projection.  
  
"I can try." And with that Paige put her head down and within a moment, her conscious self was looking through the Book of Shadows in the manor's attic, whilst her physical self remained in the shop.  
  
With a loud roar, the demon unfroze. Its eyes burnt with the anger caused by being frozen by a witch. It whipped its head around furiously, looking for a vent for its anger.  
  
"What do we do?!" Phoebe screamed.  
  
"Fight, and don't let it touch Paige" Piper yelled back. Piper missed phoebe's nod of agreement because she had become fixated on the Demon. Its gaze had fallen on a small boy, no older than 5 who were frozen mid scream next to a shelf of baby shoes. It didn't take Piper long to realize that this child was the Demon's next target, and without a second thought she ran in front of the boy just as a stream of fire came out of the Demon's palm. A weak pink shield came from Piper's stomach and deflected the fire but it was not strong enough to neutralize the force of the attack. Piper went flying through the air and landed just behind Phoebe with a sickening smack. It was at that moment that Paige's astral self re-joined her body and she took in the scene of Phoebe running to Piper who was lying unconscious on the shop floor. The demon was getting closer to them. Paige ran over to her sisters.  
  
"Phoebe, grab her arm. I've got the spell" Paige took Piper's other limp hand at the wrist and was reassured to fell a faint pulse. She recited the spell she had memorized and the demon exploded, and was vanquished.  
  
Screams filled the shop as the rest of the customers had unfrozen in time to witness the vanquish. Phoebe glanced to the big shop window and saw nothing but face after face, each wearing a similar expression of confusion, horror and amazement. They, too had all seen the vanquish. A TV film crew had their camera lens pressed against the window. It was the same crew they'd seen filming a piece on the new library as they had entered the shop.  
  
Everywhere Phoebe looked she saw people. It was confining, suffocating even. The people inside the shop were running towards the door. They were shouting to one another. All of them were scared; none of them understanding what was going on. Inside the shop, noise could be heard from the outside as people banged on the glass and shouted about the events, attracting even more people. It was chaos. And in the middle of it all lay Piper. Unnoticed by most, but screamingly obvious to her sisters. She lay sprawled on the floor, crimson blood seeping out of her nose, mouth and ear. She was barely alive.  
  
***  
  
A?N: thanks for reading and please review. 


	2. Hospital

A/N Thanks to Svata2004, line100, cocoamo1223, hazza123, MerikGroupie and TKPiper for reviewing chapter 1. sorry this one had taken so long but I was working on my other story Angels Fall Without You There most of the time (you know, apart from school, homework, friends etc.) anyway. Chapter 2 is here now, enjoy and R&R please!  
  
~*Chapter 2*~  
  
Paige couldn't cope. She couldn't loose her sister. They'd only just started to really know one another and now Piper was being pulled away from her.dying? Her legs buckled as emotion over took her and she collapsed in a sobbing heap next to Piper's body.  
  
Phoebe was in shock. Everything seemed so muffled and she couldn't, or wouldn't, comprehend what was going on. She barely noticed a man next to her who was reporting the events to the emergency services on his cell phone as he rushed out of the shop. One thing she did notice where his words.  
  
"There's been an accident."  
  
The words rang in Phoebe's head; reverberating of the inner recesses of her mind over and over and over. An accident. But it wasn't an accident. Piper had done it with full intention and awareness. And Phoebe knew that however much Piper complained; saving other peoples' lives was more important to her than having a life of her own. Piper's baby had never produced a protection shield before, and there was no way that she could've known that it'd start in the attack. She'd run in front of the boy, expecting to be incinerated. She'd risked never seeing her husband, her children, and her sisters again for the life of a boy who she didn't even know. And as much as Phoebe wanted to hate Piper because of it, she couldn't help but admire her instead.  
  
The blare of sirens dragged Phoebe from her thoughts and she saw an ambulance and 2 police cars screech to a stop behind the sprawling crowd. Vehicle doors slammed shut and police held the people back as 2 paramedics rushed through the shop door. They were closely followed by Darryl, who immediately came over to Phoebe as the paramedics began to work on Piper.  
  
"Phoebe what happened!" Darryl was struck by how white Phoebe looked.  
  
"It.it was a demon. She ran in front of a boy it was going to kill and got hit instead. Oh God, what if she." Phoebe trailed of and retreated into herself once more. Although she had been talking to Darryl, Phoebe never took her eyes of the paramedics who were frantically working on Piper. Piper was the only thing in Phoebe's world at that moment.  
  
"Miss Halliwell?" one of the paramedics came up to Phoebe.  
  
"Yes"  
  
"We're going to take your sister to hospital now, if you want to come."  
  
"Yes. Yes I do."  
  
Darryl and Phoebe walked over to Paige who sat in a crumpled heap on the floor, clinging to Piper's hand.  
  
"Paige, honey we have to go to the hospital now." Phoebe's sisterly instincts pushed her own feelings to the background and took a hold of her as she helped Paige get up of the floor. Her younger sister needed her now.  
  
The paramedics had Piper on a trolley now and were moving towards the shop door. Phoebe, Paige and Darryl started to follow when something caught Phoebe's eye. It was Piper's cell phone. Lost and unheard in all the commotion; it had 14 missed calls, all from 'home'. As Phoebe went to put it in her pocket, it began to ring again. She pressed the answer button and pressed the phone to her ear as she stepped outside.  
  
She could barely hear Leo's frantic voice over the shouts of the crowd outside. But after a moment she was in the more quiet ambulance.  
  
"Phoebe! What's happened to Piper? Why can I Barely sense her and when I do she's in pain. And why are there so many people around you? I'd orb but there ar to many people. What's going on!!?"  
  
"Piper, she's been hurt Leo, it's really bad. She's unconscious: we're on our way to San Francisco Memorial Hospital."  
  
Leo was silent for a long time before he spoke again, and when he did, his voice was filled with emotion. "I don't understand Phoebe. I thought you were just going shopping."  
  
"We were but a demon attacked. Leo, we're at the hospital now. Just please get her. Piper needs you."  
  
"Okay. I'm going to leave the kids with Alex. I'll meet you in the hospital. I'll orb into a restroom or something. Bye." And Leo hung up.  
  
Paige and Phoebe raced after the paramedics as they pushed Piper in to the big emergency assessment room.  
  
"33 year old female, severe blood loss, suspected swelling near the brain. Leg and arm damage, oh and she's 6 months pregnant." The paramedic drilled the information to the doctor in charge and a team of medics began work.  
  
A nurse came up to the sisters and ushered them out of the main room and into the nearby relatives' room. As she entered the small dingy room, Phoebe was glad to see Leo, she knew Piper needed him.  
  
"Leo!" She walked over to him as he got up of his seat and the two hugged. Paige sat down silently, she hadn't talked since the vanquishing spell had been read in the shop.  
  
Phoebe couldn't help but notice that Leo looked ashen. His eyes had lost their sparkle and his face was plagued with worry, reflecting the current stat of his mind. Phoebe wasn't surprised at this change. Piper was Leo's world, and it looked like his world was on the verge of collapsing and falling into the abyss.  
  
The door shut as the nurse that had escorted the 2 sisters into the room left. The 3 were free to talk.  
  
"What happened?" Leo got straight to the point. He needed to know hat was going on.  
  
"We were shopping and a demon attacked. Piper froze the shop but she couldn't freeze the demon for very long. Paige went to the attic to try and find the vanquishing spell but the demon unfroze before she got back. Me and Piper, we fought him but it wasn't enough and then she saw he was about to kill a boy and the demon hit her instead. The baby produced a protection shield for the first time but it was weak so she still got hit by the force and it sent her flying. She crashed into a cabinet and was bleeding and unconscious when she landed."  
  
Tears cascaded down Phoebe's face as she recounted the events. Leo was struggling to take it all in and it felt like his heart was being wrenched out of his chest and Paige still sat, still silent, still staring.  
  
"But why could I sense all those people nearby?" Leo asked, confusion etched all over his face.  
  
"Because the shop we were in had a glass, clear front. Piper couldn't freeze the whole street; it was too risky and would've taken too much energy out of her. The attack gathered attention and crowds formed. A TV crew was there too."  
  
Just then the door to the room opened and Darryl walked in.  
  
"Phoebe, Leo it's crazy out there. People are everywhere. They cover basically the whole of the car park. TV crews are there too. They want answers about what happened."  
  
"We've got other things on our minds at the minute Darryl."  
  
"I know Leo, but they aren't going to back off."  
  
"Okay, can you keep them covered and."  
  
"Actually, it's my job to keep you guys covered, kind of like a body guard. We think it's best and seeing as I know you I volunteered. Some of the people out there are a bit.freaky, you need protecting."  
  
The door opened again and this time a doctor walked in. She looked serious.  
  
"Miss Halliwell, Mr. Wyatt, Inspector Morris and Mrs. Scott? 3 pf the 4 nodded their heads yes. Paige still sat, staring at nothing in particular. The doctor carried on.  
  
"I'm doctor Miles and I've been looking after Piper. Now as you know she had a pretty serious fall with some force behind it that made an awkward landing. We identified the source of the bleeding and have stopped it but, unfortunately, Piper has some swelling around her brain that we need to operate on immediately before we can go any further. Also, she has broken her lower right leg in a number of places and fractured her right arm as well. After the op. x-rays will determine the severity of the breakages and we will go from there. However our main focus now is the swelling and the operation is likely to take some time as it is a very delicate procedure. We're talking 6 or 7 hours. Now I appreciate that you all want to see Piper but I suggest you go home now, get some rest and we'll phone when the operation is over. Any questions?"  
  
"Yes, what about the baby, will she be okay?" Leo was concerned about his future child.  
  
"Ah yes, the baby. Now providing the operation goes okay and Piper does her bit, the baby should be fine. She wasn't hurt during the accident itself and we are taking extra precautions because of her."  
  
"Thank you doctor"  
  
Doctor Miles left and the 4 were alone with the news. Paige was till sitting. She'd heard and understood everything the doctor had said, but she didn't believe it. She didn't believe what was happening, because she didn't want it to be true.  
  
Leo and Phoebe were worried about Piper. They didn't want to leave the hospital, but they knew it made sense. They turned to Darryl and the 3 decided it would be better to orb to the manor, that way they'd avoid the people outside. They couldn't face them right now.  
  
Leo took Phoebe's hand, who coaxed Paige of the chair and took her arm. Darryl put his hand on Leo's shoulder and the group orbed to the manor, but each of their minds were with Piper as she went into the operating theater, still unconscious.  
  
****  
  
A/N: thanks for reading and please review! And remember that I'm English so if some of the words aren't the same-I'm sorry! 


	3. At the Manor

A/N: thanks to muse-of-the-fairies, Charmed Leo, Chantelle, TKPiper, line100, CharmingChix, Cocoamo1223, svata2004, hazza123, and MerikGroupie for reviewing the last chapter. Sorry this one took so so so long in coming but I had minor writers block and a huge bunch of other stuff to do. Sorry!!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything!  
  
~*~Chapter 3~*~  
  
The group orbed into the living room of the manor. Immediately two young children -a girl and an older boy- came running/ toddling out of the kitchen and flung themselves at Leo. The girl had dark brown hair that was short as she was still young, and she had brown eyes. Her older brother had blonde hair that was getting darker everyday so soon it'd be brown. He had light blue/green eyes.  
  
Leo bent down and picked up Wyatt just as Phoebe picked up Melinda.  
  
"Daddy!" Wyatt yelled excitedly. He then looked around expectantly at the group. "Where's mommy?"  
  
"Mommy!" Melinda repeated the last word to show that she wanted to be a part of the conversation, and she turned herself in her Auntie's arms to face her Dad and brother.  
  
Leo and Phoebe exchanged glances, the same thought passing through their heads. 'how do you explain this to a child?'  
  
It seemed an impossible task, yet it was one that had to be done. Leo moved over to the settee and sat down, placing Wyatt on his lap so the boy was facing his Dad. Phoebe sat down next to Leo and placed Melinda sideways on her knee so the girl could see her Daddy and brother.  
  
Leo took a breath and looked at both of his children.  
  
"Wyatt , Melinda, Mommy has been hurt and she has to go into a hospital for a little while so that she can get better again, okay?"  
  
"Okay" Wyatt replied. He looked thoughtful though and Leo knew a question was soon to follow.  
  
"Otay!" Melinda was satisfied much easier than her older brother. Her young brain more accepting.  
  
"But Daddy, if Mommy's hurt you can heal her." Wyatt's 'question' was more of a statement.  
  
"Sweetie, I don't think I can. I don't think the Elders will let me. Also I haven't seen mommy yet."  
  
"Okay"  
  
Wyatt yawned and Melinda was almost asleep in Phoebe's arms. Leo looked shattered himself so Phoebe offered to put the kids to bed for him.  
  
"Thanks Phoebe."  
  
"S'ok." She gave her brother-in-law a hug (trying not to squash Melinda) "you did well Leo, that wasn't easy." She then carried a sleeping Melinda up the stairs, holding a tired Wyatt's hand as he followed.  
  
While all this had been going on, Darryl had been filling Alex in on the day's events in the Kitchen. As Phoebe left, the two men came into the sitting room and Alex sat next to Paige as Darryl hovered nervously around the large window at the front of the house.-he knew it was only a matter of time before crowds would form around the manor, sprawling onto the road.  
  
The room was in silence as everyone contemplated different things and relived the experience in their own ways. Phoebe then came back down the stairs and sat next to Leo. She had the Book of Shadows in her arms and she put it on the coffee table in the centre of the room and started to look through it.  
  
"Phoebe, what are you doing?" Alex asked.  
  
"I am finding a way to fix this because I am not going to lose another sister, or let her lie in hospital with tubes sticking out of her for that matter." Phoebe replied as she continued to flip through the pages of the book. Each flip harsher than the last as her search became more desperate.  
  
"Heal her. Heal her." Paige muttered under her breath then got progressively louder. "Heal Her!" she was sitting on the settee, knees clutched to her chest and she was rocking back and forth. She lifted her head and stared at Leo, defiant but pleading. Sorrow haunted her pale features. "Heal Her" her voice however was emotionless- a million miles from the Paige they all knew.  
  
"I.I can't" Leo was taken aback by this sudden confrontation.  
  
"Why not?" Paige's voice was even but stronger than the last time she spoke.  
  
"Don't you think I want to! She's my wife! But I don't think that They will let me."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Magic has been exposed. A sudden recovery would be too suspicious."  
  
"Check" Paige's voice was back to being low. So low that Leo had barely heard her.  
  
"What"  
  
"Orb. Go. Check with Them. Argue. GO!" The last word was shouted and filled with so much emotion that Leo orbed straight away. He was tired, confused and, most importantly of all, consumed with a fear so great it was all he could do not to be overpowered by it. He was terrified of losing Piper, terrified of being alone, terrified of having to live without her. He didn't want to see the Elders. He wanted to see his wife, to see his children. He wanted to believe that everything would be okay. But he couldn't, because he was finding it really hard to think that anything might be even nearly Okay ever again.  
  
Paige had collapsed into tears so great that her whole body shook. Shouting had seemed to release all her emotion, all that had silenced her since the attack. Tears ran down her face and she clutched at Phoebe desperately as her big sister moved to sit next to her and held her as she cried. She was crying out of worry for Piper. Out of fear of not knowing what would happen now. She was crying because she didn't understand what had happened in the shop and she was crying out of guilt. As she thought that she should've been able to help when the demon had attacked.  
  
Paige's sobs died down slowly and sleep washed over her exhausted body. Leo orbed in then and sat down dejectedly.  
  
"What did They say?"  
  
"They said no. That I shouldn't even bother to try and heal her because it won't work. They can't risk magic being exposed even more."  
  
"Well we have to do something!"  
  
"I know, but what?"  
  
The question hung in the air as no one had an answer just yet.  
  
"You two look exhausted, maybe we should sleep and wait until the hospital phones." Alex suggested.  
  
"Erm, guys" Darryl spoke from the window. "There are a lot of people pulling up outside now."  
  
"Oh great" Phoebe groaned and leaned back in her chair, "It's late, why are they here so late?"  
  
"To get a good story?" Darryl suggested.  
  
"Marvelous." the sarcasm was rich in her voice and she leant her head against the back of the settee, closing her eyes to gather her thoughts "So, what now? Do we just sit around or.what? She continued after a moment.  
  
"Well, we don't let them see you or talk to you." Darryl said firmly as he yanked the curtains shut. "And we get some rest."  
  
About an hour later Paige was still sleeping downstairs and Alex was on the other settee, sleeping also. They hadn't wanted to move Paige to her own room next door incase she woke up. Darryl sat on the chair looking out of the window through a gap in the curtains at the people outside of the manor.  
  
Upstairs Phoebe slept in the spare bed in Melinda's room (her old bedroom) as she had wanted to stay with her family tonight. Her sleep was restless and filled with images of Piper.and Prue. Phoebe dreaded the thought that what happened to Prue might also happen to Piper.  
  
In his and Piper's bedroom, Leo lay awake. He couldn't sleep. The bed was cold without Piper there; her empty side seemed expansive and was a constant reminder to him that she wasn't there. That she lay in another bed, in hospital. That she was injured and for once he couldn't heal her. To him, he was living a nightmare and he wished he could wake up, but how can you wake up when you aren't even asleep? He laid silently thinking and contemplating for about 2 hours when the phone on his bed side table started to ring. Each ring rang harshly into the quiet of the night and Leo scrambled to a sitting position, leaned over and grabbed the phone out of the cradle.  
  
"Hello!"  
  
*~*~*  
  
A/N: once again, sorry for taking so long to update but now the holidays are over I should get back on track with updates. Please Review!! 


	4. Returning to the hospital

A/N: thanks to Mickis (sorry about your dog-that must have been horrible), line100, Trunks Ichijouji and Charming Chix for reviewing the last chapter. Here's the next one for you!  
  
~*~*~ Chapter 4~*~*~  
  
The phone call had been the hospital; Piper's operation was almost finished so the nurse said Leo, Phoebe and Paige should come now so that they could see Piper when she came out of surgery.  
  
Leo got out of bed as quick as he could and ran down the hall, coming to an abrupt stop outside Melinda's room-he didn't want to wake his daughter whilst getting Phoebe. He gently pushed the door open and stepped into the room. He could hear the deep; even breaths of his daughter and he knew that meant she was sleeping. He walked over to the other side of the room when he heard Phoebe whisper,  
  
"Leo, is that you?"  
  
"Yeah, Phoebe the hospital called. They said we could see her."  
  
Phoebe hadn't been sleeping; she couldn't sleep knowing that Piper was half way across town in the middle of an operation instead of sleeping in her own bed. Scenes of the devastation that had met her when she came back from the underworld when Prue died swam across her mind all night. They were dominated only by images of the shop, of Piper lying helpless and bleeding on the shop floor. It felt to Phoebe that history was repeating itself and a cold fear settled in the pit of her stomach. Then Leo had come in and a glimmer of hope flashed in Phoebe's mind, Piper might just be okay. This time it might not be the end. Phoebe got hope and held onto that thought as though it were the most precious thing in the world, it was something she just wasn't willing to let go of.  
  
Phoebe pulled on her clothes from the day before as Leo went to wake up Paige, he then orbed back to his room dressed quickly and orbed back into the sitting room just as phoebe reached the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Okay, are we all ready?" Leo asked as he held onto Phoebe's arm. "Paige, you know where you're going?"  
  
Paige nodded he head in conformation and Leo started to get ready to orb.  
  
"Wait!" Darryl jumped out of his chair. "I'm going with you, there's bound to be a lot of people at the hospital wanting to know more."  
  
"what about Wyatt and Melinda?" Leo asked  
  
"I'll look after them don't worry just go see Piper!" Alex said hurriedly. He never minded looking after his niece and nephew. Leo and Phoebe were engulfed in Blue orbs and Paige grabbed Darryl's arm and the two of them then left in the same way.  
  
Paige had recovered to a degree after all her locked up emotion had seemed to wash away as she cried last night. She was still extremely worried and dint even want to contemplate what could happen any more, but at least she could talk-that was a start.  
  
The group reappeared in what looked like a store room. Leo wrenched open the door and they spilled out into a deserted corridor. Phoebe started to run down the hall, followed by Leo, Paige and then Darryl. She came to a stop in front of a desk.  
  
"Piper Halliwell, where's Piper Halliwell."  
  
The nurse at the desk seemed to take an antagonizingly long time to check the computer screen before looking up to meet Phoebe in the eye. The nurse seemed to be hurried by the desperation that was in Phoebe's eye and quickly released the relevant information,  
  
"Intensive care unit, room 3, it's on the fourth floor. Use the lift and then turn left. It's the third door on the right after that."  
  
Phoebe ran of again in the direction of the lift (a/n sorry elevator for those who don't know what a lift is). She pressed the button several times and then the four of them raced into the tiny metallic capsule before being taken to the fourth floor. Once out of the lift they followed the directions the nurse downstairs had described, stopping at the third door on the right.  
  
~*~*  
  
A/N sorry it's so short but I really wanted to get another chapter out. The next one will be when they see Piper for the first time after the accident. There will also be more about the press and what the crowds saw. Please review!!!! 


	5. Seeing Piper

A/N: thanks to CharmingChix, line100, Svata2004, Piper+leo4eva (and for reviewing Angels Fall without You There), and Cocoamo1223 for reviewing the last chapter.  
  
~*~Chapter 5~*~  
  
They stood outside of the door that led into Piper's hospital room. A rectangular pane of glass allowed them a glimpse of what lay inside but nobody allowed their eyes to linger on it for long. They didn't want to see a fragment of Piper. They wanted to see all of her.  
  
Phoebe put her hand on the handle of the door and pushed it open. She then walked into the small room followed by Leo and Paige. Darryl decided to wait outside of the room; he wanted to stop anyone who wasn't supposed to go in the room from entering and he also felt that he'd be intruding if he entered.  
  
In the center of the room was a hospital bed, it looked harsh and metallic. And in the bed lay Piper. She looked small and pale. A bandage was wrapped around her head but her hair was still visible at the top and as it fell about her shoulders as it came out of the bottom of the white stretch of material. She was wearing a white hospital gown and was covered by a blue-grey blanket. One hand rested on top of the small rise in the blankets that indicated her pregnant stomach. This was, other than her head, the only part of Piper that was visible to her family.  
  
It seemed to Leo that the entire world had been condensed down and put into this one room, this one bed. Nothing else mattered. All sound was an infinite sense of nothing and his mouth had dried up, relegating taste to a distant memory. Talking seemed impossible and breathing insanely hard. His chest and throat were too blocked by emotion to even consider taking in air. And all his heart wanted to do was ache.  
  
The world stayed still, silent and compressed for what seemed like hours, days, even weeks for Leo. He'd lost all recognition or concept of tome. But finally he began to become grounded. Sound penetrated his world first, the beeping of the numerous monitors hooked up to Piper dragged him from his retreat and he began to breathe again. But no breath in the world could extinguish the pain in his heart at the moment. He began to walk over to Piper, oblivious to the silent tears making their way down his face because they didn't matter. He didn't matter, at least not without her. In one fluid moment, Leo picked up Piper's hand from her stomach and sat down in a chair by her bedside. And he held onto her hand, silently swearing to never let it go, never to let her go.  
  
Phoebe was shocked at the calmness on her big sister's face. It looked exactly as though Piper was sleeping and Phoebe longed to go and tell her to wake up, but deep down, Phoebe knew it'd be pointless. Piper needed to 'sleep', at least for now. So instead Phoebe sat opposite Leo, on the other side of Piper, and stroked her sisters hair, that came out of the bandage, and talked to Piper.  
  
"Piper, honey, it'll be okay now. We're here. Me, Paige and Leo. It'll be okay"  
  
Paige was standing at the end of piper's bed. For a moment it seemed as though she had retreated into herself once more. But she didn't let her self. Not this time.  
  
"Yeah Piper. We're all here and we'll never leave you here alone."  
  
Just then the door opened, but no one turned to see who had entered the room. They were engrossed by Piper.  
  
"I see you found Piper okay then"  
  
Phoebe realized there was another person in the room at the sound of the doctor's voice.  
  
"Doctor Miles." She said, simply in conformation that she'd heard the doctor enter.  
  
"Hello," The three heads turned towards the doctor now and realized that Darryl had come into the room also. Doctor Miles continued, "Piper's operation went fine and quicker than we had anticipated. This means we have successfully reduced the swelling around Piper's brain so she should be fine there. When Piper was in the operation, we x-rayed her and the results of this showed that her lower right leg is broken in 3 places, so we set these in theatre. They also showed that she has a small fracture to her spine that can be easily fixed. We sorted this out in theater also. Now, before you panic, none of this has harmed the baby, we took special care of that, and the baby is doing fine, it's very resilient by the look of things. Okay, any questions?"  
  
"Yes, will the swelling on her brain give any after effects?" Paige asked.  
  
"You mean like paralysis?" Paige nodded in confirmation and Dr.Miles continued. "No, Piper was lucky in the respect that the swelling will, at the most, only affect her short term memory. So, for example, she may not remember what happened directly before the accident, but long term stuff .g. name, identity, family, will be fine. Any other questions?"  
  
Paige looked relieved at the answer and Phoebe asked a question.  
"How long will she stay like this, in a coma, unconscious. What ever it is?"  
  
"for a patient with injuries like Piper's and who has had an operation like Piper's, the typical amount of time to stay in a coma is for any time between 3 days and 10 days, but don't be worried if its longer. The best you can do for her is talk to her, read to her or put on the television. Something that she can focus on if she can hear you. Any more?"  
  
the doctor was met with shakes of the heads, indicating that no one had a question.  
  
"okay. Now I asked inspector Morris to come in because there are a lot of people outside wanting to know more about what happened to Piper. I think you know what I mean- Press, TV cameras, spectators, that sort of ting. Now I have the hospital security on it and no one will get in, that I can assure you, but I think you need to talk to Inspector Morris here to consider your safety. This doesn't affect me, or how I will treat Piper so don't worry about that. My priority is looking after Piper and getting her better. I better be going, I'll be back to check on her in an hour or so."  
  
"Okay, thank you doctor"  
  
Paige said and Dr. Miles left the room.  
  
"So what now?" Paige asked  
  
"I don't know. Well I guess you can just orb in and out so people outside don't see you come or go. Maybe you should switch the TV on, so we can see how bad it is?" Darryl suggested.  
  
"Okay" Phoebe said as Paige switched the small TV that was in the corner of the room on.  
  
Images flooded into the small room and they were worse than anyone had imagined they could be. In a barely audible whisper, Leo vocalized what they were all feeling  
  
"oh my god."  
  
*~*~ A/N sorry if that was rubbish ending, thanks for reading and please please review!!! 


	6. Images and hatred

A/N: Thanks to Piper+leo4eva and CharmingChix for reviewing. This chapter is for you! So here it is and I hope you all enjoy.  
  
~*~Chapter 6~*~  
  
The light from the TV flooded the hospital room carrying images that crept into every crevasse of the room. There was no way of escaping them. Over and over the scenes played, imprinting themselves on their horrorstricken viewer's minds.  
  
In harsh reality they showed the demonic battle in the baby shop, Piper helplessly being flung across the room and then Piper again lying awkwardly still on the floor, bleeding. Next came the vanquish in all its horrific glory and then came live shots of the front of the hospital. Crowds sprawled over the car park like on huge living mass, waving placards and calling words that were undistinguishable as they fought with one another to be heard.  
  
Phoebe snapped. She couldn't handle the flood of images much longer so she jumped up and harshly pushed the power button on the small set off.  
  
The whole room was still. The TV may have been switched off but the images still played in the minds of those in the room. The pictures twisted and distorted themselves in Paige's mind until they'd mixed up completely and were stuck playing images of terrified faces over and over. But the people weren't frightened of the demon for he'd long been vanquished. They were scared of the sisters; they'd made up their minds that the Charmed Ones were evil. Demonizing what they couldn't explain because fear is easier than understanding.  
  
Paige hated it. She hated it all. She hated the day for happening, the sun for rising, the demon for attacking, the shop for being so busy and the night for coming because even though the day was almost over, the nightmare was only really beginning. She wanted to run away. To feel free from the day and most of all she wanted to wake up, for the whole day to have been someone's sick idea of a joke or her mind's warped excuse for a dream. She wanted to wake up next to Alex. To get dressed and go to the manor together then to be greeted by warm squeals from Wyatt and Melinda. She wanted to see Phoebe coming through the front day and to see Leo and Piper laughing as the whole family sat down to what had become their somewhat traditional breakfast. She hated that that couldn't happen no matter how much she wanted it too. She hated it so much she wanted to scream.  
  
Like it had done before, and would no doubt do again, their 'blessing' of magic had become their curse. And that was what she hated most of all.  
  
Leo coughed, cleared his throat to speak and Paige pushed her emotion aside. After all, hate only comes once we've let things affect us deep enough to care about them, and all this hatred was coming from Paige's love for her sister and family. She decided to channel that emotion to overcome whatever Leo said now.  
  
"So, so what do we do now? How do we stop.that?"  
  
He still held Piper's hand, nothing was going to make him let her go. Not now, not when he could loose her so easily. He spoke as though already defeated. He was tired and didn't know what o do now, possibilities seemed shot and an end to the nightmare non-existent.  
  
"I don't know" Phoebe spoke. She'd resumed her seat next to Piper and studied her sister's face, searching for signs of consciousness. Darryl shook his head too, defeated. In all his years of knowing the Halliwells, he'd never known them this worried and he couldn't help but think how unfair the situation was. A group of people who'd done more than their fair share of good, had all this crap to deal with. They didn't deserve it.  
  
"The Book! We need to check it. There has to be something in there. I can't believe I never thought of it before" Paige was excited. Finally it felt like she could do something!  
  
"I'm going back to the manor. Who's coming with me?" she looked pointedly at the group, "we need rest. We'll go for a couple of hours then come back."  
  
"I'm staying with Piper" Leo said straight away.  
  
"Me too" Phoebe agreed.  
  
"I'll go with you Paige. I should check out the crowd situation at the manor anyway." Darryl walked over to Paige and she took hold of his arm as the two orbed out.  
  
As the orbs cleared, the beeping of the machine that monitored Piper's pulse changed its rhythm. Something was happening to Piper as the beep turned into a continuous walling drone.  
  
~*~*  
  
A/N please please review. More reviews mean longer chapters!!!! Thanks. 


	7. Unfortunate events

A/N: thanks to piper+leo4eva, cocoamo1223, piperlover/leo and line100 (x2! I hope this chapter's long enough for you and you had a fun skiing trip) for reviewing. Here's the next chapter for you all.  
  
~*~Chapter 7~*~  
  
"Oh my god! No! Not again!" Phoebe sobbed as she backed away from the bed. Fear, cold and icy, gripped her heart casting her into an infinite numbness. She felt nothing, thought nothing, reacted to nothing. She merely observed what was going on.  
  
Leo stood over Piper's body, trying desperately hard to heal her but to no avail. The machine still droned on in a sickeningly constant reminder to their desperate situation. It was the only sound in the room.  
  
Just as Leo was giving up trying to heal Piper, Doctor Miles rushed into the room, followed by a nurse. They rushed over to Piper, and Leo stepped away. The nurse grabbed the paddles from the other side of the room, following the doctor's orders. Two pads were placed on Piper's chest and gel rubbed onto the metallic surface of the paddles.  
  
"Ready, clear, shocking" the nursed drilled out what he had many times before and Piper's body lurched upwards and then jerked back down. Her heart monitor displayed the same flat line. The nurse was getting ready to shock again when Leo noticed something.  
  
"Wait." He spoke hoarsely, his voice raw with emotion. "Look."  
  
They all followed his gaze and looked at Piper's stomach where a warm glow had started to appear. It spread throughout her body, filling her from head to toe, glowing stronger over her heart and head. Slowly the glow died away, leaving Piper her normal color. Then the drone returned once more to a continual, strong beeping.  
  
"Heart rate strong and steady." Doctor Miles said in amazement as she glanced at the monitor screen.  
  
All the emotion that she should have felt over the last few minutes washed over Phoebe in a second and she started to sob again, this time with relief. Her and Leo ran over to Piper and were smiling. Phoebe hugged Piper around the stomach and Leo stroked his wife's hair and kissed her forehead.  
  
Piper was still in a coma but even in appearance she seemed better. She looked less washed out and color bloomed in her cheeks once more. For the second time in one day, the baby had saved its mommy from dying but had also exposed a bit more of the magic that shrouded the Halliwell family.  
  
"I.I think we should take Piper for some more tests now, to see what's going on," doctor Miles regained her composure to a degree but amazement was still pure in her eyes. Along with the nurse (who didn't seem to be that bothered by what had just happened; Leo wasn't entirely sure he'd even seen it) doctor Miles pushed Piper's bed/trolley out of the small room. Casting a look over her shoulder, she spoke to Phoebe and Leo  
  
"We shouldn't be long."  
  
The two were in silence, a mixture of emotion radiating around the room. Adrenalin coursed through their veins, their bodies way of coping with the rush of what had happened. Fear and ultimate dread that that could've been it, Piper could've dies. There was also relief that came with seeing the baby heal Piper from the womb and the newfound hope that this brought. There was also nervousness and anticipation of what would happen now- would Piper be okay now? Would the healing cause their magic to be exposed even further?  
  
"Paige." The word fell out of Phoebe's mouth before she'd even realized it was in her head.  
  
"What?" Leo looked confused, was confused. Piper had just almost died and Phoebe was talking about Paige?  
  
"I don't know. I just need to be near her. I can't describe it, it's like an instinct. She needs us."  
  
"Okay." Reluctantly Leo gave in. He'd known the sisters for a long time and knew to trust their instincts. He grabbed Phoebe's arm and the electrical but warm feeling that accompanied the orbing process, rushed through their bodies, casting their form into a flurry of blue sparkles.  
  
The sparkles reformed in the upstairs hallway of the Manor and Phoebe and Leo made their way downstairs as they looked around, instantly alert. They hadn't a clue what to expect-demon? Emotionally distraught sister? It could be a number of things. What they didn't imagine it could be, though, was the exact thing that it was. They reached the bottom of the stairs and the site that met their eyes was horrible.  
  
The front bat window of the manor was smashed through. Teeth of glass stared threateningly as they reflected the early rising sun, turning the golden glow into a harsh glare. Press reporters, TV crews, photographers and general hecklers were leaning through the window frame, pushing one another to reach the front. Their camera bulbs were flashing incessantly, capturing the downstairs rooms of the manor, desperately trying to get that one unique shot that'd show something special, different from all the others. They all failed for with every click and every flash, the manor seemed to shy away, the life, happiness and magic of it gradually seeped out of it. The people were so wrapped up in what they were doing that none of them saw the thing they'd spent a large proportion of the day waiting for- members of the Halliwell family. Leo and Phoebe remained unnoticed at the foot of the stairs, taking in the devastation that surrounded them. The curtains flapped wildly at the window less frames as they tried to obscure the views of those who were intruding. To Phoebe, the manor felt exposed and abused, their lives put on show for the whole world. Family photos of weddings, birthdays and Christmases were filmed and photographed by what seemed like the world's media. They were the private moments, the special ones that families hold dear to them and it was at their discretion to show then to other people, not a Photographers. Shards of glass cluttered the floor and the rugs lat skewed as though someone had left the room in a rush.  
  
"Paige! Where are Paige, Alex and Darryl? The kids, my God Leo where's Melinda and Wyatt?" Phoebe's thoughts came out on a rush of jumbled whispers and panic was wild in her eyes.  
  
"I don't know. The attic? It's the safest place in the house." Leo decided.  
  
The two of them raced up the two flights of stairs and burst into the attic.  
  
Inside Paige, Darryl and Alex immediately rushed over to the settee, where Wyatt and Melinda slept, and stood in front of the children in a protective stance. When they saw who came in the door, they relaxed and concern immediately flooded Paige's face as she went over to her sister and the two embraced.  
  
"Phoebes, it's horrible! I got back and heard them smash the window. Alex was upstairs because Melinda woke up and was crying. They started taking Photos and we didn't know what to do so we had to bring the kids up here. They only just got back to sleep." Paige was comforted by the presence of her sister and brother-in-law and the story just rushed out of her mouth. The adults turned to look at the sleeping children. They were curled up on the settee. Wyatt lay on his back, his teddy clutched in his arm and his head on one side. Melinda lay on her left side, turning into her brother. She was sucking furiously on her dummy (pacifier) and tear tracks could be seen lying on her pink cheeks. She too had a teddy, well a small pink bunny, clutched in the crook of her tiny arm. The two were covered in a large cream fleecy blanket. They were the picture of innocence. They didn't deserve what was going on in their lives, no one deserved that.  
  
"Wait, what are you doing here?" Alex asked. He looked exhausted. They all did. The day had been hard and long. An emotional rollercoaster and intensely draining yet they had no choice but to carry on, for Piper, for the children and for their sanities.  
  
"well, Piper got worse. She almost died. Then the baby healed her and the doctor saw so she's been taken for more tests. Then phoebe sort of had a feeling that Paige needed us, so we came."  
  
"What, Piper almost died? How.what? You knew to come? How? Okay, now my head hurts." Paige sat down on the chair and looked expectantly at Phoebe and Leo.  
  
"Yeah she had a cardiac arrest and the doctor tried to get her heart going again and couldn't. it was so bad and then she started to glow, like if Leo was healing her only he was no where near her. It started from her stomach so we reckon it was the baby. Anyway, it worked and her heart started again. But the doctor saw, which might make this whole thing worse. But at least Piper should be okay now. And I don't know how I knew you needed me. It was strange. Just after this happened with Piper, your name just popped into my head and I felt as though you were overwhelmed. Sort of an empathic reading, I don't know." Phoebe paused. Paige was shocked to hear about Piper but obviously pleased to know she'd be okay. Phoebe continued. "What do we do now?"  
  
She instinctively looked towards Leo. He always guided her. He was her whitelighter and in a lot of ways, her big brother. Glad to be on familiar ground at last, Leo answered Phoebe.  
  
"We take the kids to P3; I don't think it's been staked out by the press yet. They'll be safe there. Alex and Darryl if you can stay with them, then we'll go back to the hospital and wait for Piper to get back. Okay?"  
  
The group nodded their heads in agreement and Paige walked over to Wyatt and picked the small boy up, he stirred a little but remained asleep. She also grabbed the blanket as Leo picked up Melinda. Phoebe went over to Leo and held his arm, as did Darryl and Alex walked over to Paige and held her hand. The group was then engulfed in blue orbs and reappeared in Piper's office in the club for refuge.  
  
With her family half way across town, Piper lay in the small hospital room alone. Again a glow came from her stomach, filling her body with a warm light before gradually ebbing away. Slowly she blinked before opening her eyes fully. Looking around at the strange interior and with no memory of the past day, confusion and panic flooded her mind.  
  
****  
  
A/N: that was the longest chapter I've ever written for any story so I hope it was okay! I'm going to Russia on a school trip tomorrow so that means no update for about two weeks but please review and it'll make me write faster when I get back. Hope you enjoyed it! 


	8. Filling in Piper

A/N: I'm back from freezing (but great ) Russia, so thanks to Piper+leo4eva, cocoamo1223, scififan, middlesister, svata2004, line100, TKpiper and Piper15 for reviewing. They all made me happy when I got back! Anyway, here's what you all want....  
  
*~*Chapter 8*~*  
  
Piper opened her eyes, saw the white of the ceiling above her and shut them again. She was confused and she didn't like it. Against her will, her eyes snapped open again. She looked all around her; at the monitors, the bed she was in, the clothes she was wearing and the empty chairs by her bed. She wasn't stupid and knew she was in a hospital, but where was her family? Where were Leo, her sisters...her kids?  
  
Without any memory of the accident she didn't have a clue why they weren't there. The same thoughts kept running through her head...where they injured too, or even dead? No, she wouldn't, couldn't let herself think that anymore. Maybe it was another one of those alternate realities and her sisters will come and safe her like before. No, she didn't like that either. She hated not knowing what was happening to her!  
  
She could feel her throat begin to tighten, as if it were being blocked by her emotion and her eyes grew hot and began to prickle. She put her head on the side and squeezed her eyes shut to stop herself from crying. But it had the opposite effect and she felt hot tears track down her face and after a moments protest, she gave in and let them fall freely, she just didn't know what to do.  
  
Behind her blue orbs began to form and then took the shape of Leo, Paige and Phoebe.  
  
"Look, she's moved." Leo said quietly as he took a seat next to Piper's bed.  
  
Piper dared to breathe again, dared to hope, and opened her eyes. The tears still traced down her face, but there were less of them now.  
  
"Leo?" She whispered the words and then turned to see him next to her.  
  
"Piper!" He half laughed, half cried her name and then her sisters joined in. soon Piper found her self at the center of a four-way hug. A few moments later they all pulled back. Leo sat on the chair next to the bed, and held onto Piper's hand, never wanting to let go. Paige sat on the other side and Phoebe had actually gotten into the bed and was next to Piper.  
  
Piper, meanwhile, was tired and happy but even more confused. She wanted, no needed, to know what was going on.  
  
"So, is anyone going to tell me what's happening?"  
  
the three looked at each other, mentally deciding who should tell the story. The job fell to Leo, but with Phoebe and Paige helping out now and then. When leo was finished, piper was silent.  
  
"Oh my god" she said in a voice that was barely audible, "where did you say Wyatt and Melinda are?" she was having trouble getting her head around it all.  
  
"At P3 with Alex and Darryl."  
  
Piper nodded her head then looked at her family "What do we do now?"  
  
"I...we...don't know. I feel so...helpless. We all do! Phoebe admitted sadly.  
  
Piper was getting really tired now and she could feel her eyes starting to close.  
  
"I think you should get some sleep and we'll think about what to do next." Leo suggested to his wife.  
  
"But..."  
  
"No...if you won't do it for you the please do it for the baby" he looked at her and knew she'd given in. he bent don, kissed her gently and as he pulled back she began to drift of to sleep. As her breathing steadied and they were satisfied she was asleep, Phoebe quietly climbed out of Piper's bed.  
  
"So, she has a point." She Phoebe said, "What do we do now?"  
  
"I don't know...wait...Wyatt's calling me." Leo was really worried. His son would only be calling, and not orbing himself, if something was really wrong.  
  
*~* A/N: sorry it's short but I have to write an essay on Macbeth now. Anyway, I have the rest written on paper and I'll type and post as soon as I can. Please review! 


	9. Trouble at P3

A/N: school's shut because of snow so I'm updating earlier than I'd thought I could (yeay!!) anyway, thanks to KC-piper-fan, Piper+leo4eva, Piper15, sci fi fan, Magical princess, and line 100 for all reviewing the last chapter. Here's this one...  
  
*~*Chapter 9*~*  
  
"Wyatt's calling? Why?" Paige was really confused. Wyatt was safe why would he call Leo, they'd only just left.  
  
"I don't know but I have to go."  
  
"Okay. I'll come with you. Phoebes stay with Piper, incase she wakes up."  
  
Phoebe nodded her head yes as Leo and Paige quickly orbed out.  
  
They rematerialized in Piper's office at P3. Wyatt was sitting on the couch, his small face screwed up in concentration. Alex sat on Piper's office chair opposite where Wyatt was sitting. Melinda sat on his knee; she looked okay now but had obviously been crying. Darryl, however, was no where to be seen.  
  
"Wyatt," Leo went over to his son and picked him up of the settee. On being lifted up by his father, Wyatt's eyes popped open and he flung his arms around his dad's neck.  
  
"Daddy!" He cried out, "I sensed you and you came!"  
  
"Yeah I did but why did you call?" Leo directed his question more at Alex than Wyatt.  
  
On the other side of the room, Melinda was in her auntie's arms. Her breathing was hiccupy and her cheeks were damp and slightly red. Alex had stood up and was next to Paige, he opened his mouth to start and explain it all when the door to Piper's office burst open and Darryl rushed in.  
  
"Good, you're here" he said as soon as he saw Leo and Paige.  
  
"Yes but why?!" Paige was getting annoyed. Something had obviously happened and she wanted to know what it was.  
  
"We got Wyatt to call you because we weren't sure you'd hear if one of us called." Alex started to explain.  
  
"But why did you need us in the first place?"  
  
"To get us out of here. It isn't safe, not anymore. Hear that banging? That's the press. They've staked out the place and are banging on the door to open it or break in, I don't know." Leo and Paige listened and heard aloud and consistent banging noise. It made them wonder why they hadn't heard it before. But that didn't matter; they heard it now and needed to get out of there.  
  
"Okay, so the only place we have left is the hospital, Piper's room. We'll have to go there." Leo looked at Paige and she nodded, in agreement, as did Darryl and Alex. So Leo grabbed Darryl's arm and the two of them and Wyatt orbed out. Then Paige took Alex's hand and looked around before orbing the two of them and Melinda out. She hated doing it; to her it felt like they were giving up too easily. Their house had been ruined, the club was about to be ruined. Leo was right they had no where else to go but a hospital room. As much as she told herself that, it didn't make her like it any better. They were supposed to be the world's most powerful witches and yet, she'd never felt more powerless to do anything.  
  
The six of them rematerialized in the hospital room. It was a bit crowded but at least they were all together.  
  
Wyatt clambered out of his dad's arms at the sight of his Mom. He quietly got onto the bed next to her and snuggled up next to her, promptly falling asleep. Melinda struggled in Paige's arms; she obviously wanted to do the same. So Paige obliged and Melinda lay on the other side of Piper, the girl cuddled up to her mom and also fell asleep.  
  
Leo looked at the bed. His family was all in that one bed and seeing them all together like that made him see how vulnerable and almost defeated they were. He looked around the room at his extended family and they all looked the same. In that moment he knew exactly what he had to do, he needed to go 'up there' and shout and argue and persuade until the elders came up with a way to solve this because he wouldn't let this go on for much longer.  
  
"I'm going 'up there' I have to find a way to stop this. Anyone want to come?" Leo figured he'd probably need help and knew the Halliwells could argue better than a lot of people he knew.  
  
"Yeah. I'll come. They have to do something about this." Phoebe got up and walked over to Leo. They could tell Paige wanted to come too but they all knew that someone who could orb should stay down incase they needed to move fast.  
  
So with one last look at their family, Leo and Phoebe disappeared in blue sparkling orbs and went to try and save their family.  
  
*~*~  
  
A/N: another chapter done and honestly I don't know what's going to happen next so if anyone has any ideas feel free to put it in when you review. And if you don't have ideas please review anyway, I'll be very grateful!! 


	10. Up There

A/N: thank you to Anarra, line100, piper+leo4eva, castiglione101, bob-the- bear, cheeca (special thanks for the amazing ideas, hope you like what I do with them!), Magical Princess, Sci Fi Fan, Piper 15, Cocoamo1223 and a fan for reviewing the last chapter.  
  
Here's this one...  
  
~*Chapter 10*~  
  
"What do you mean there's nothing you can do?!"  
  
"Exactly everything that implies Leo. We can do nothing and  
will not do anything to help. The Charmed ones need to figure this  
out alone."  
The Elder spoke with a complete calmness that was so annoying it made Leo feel even more angry.  
  
The arguing had been going on for about 1 hour and had gotten stuck in a bit of a rut. Leo and Phoebe wanted the Elder's help, but the Elders just didn't want to give it. It was as simple and as annoying as that.  
  
"Look we've been fighting demons, warlocks and anything else  
that is thrown at us for seven years. We've been saving your asses  
for seven years and what have you done to help? Not a lot. If  
anything you've made things harder for us. As much as I hate saying  
this, we really need your help with this one. Are you seriously  
telling me that you are going to sit up here on you clouds and watch  
as all we've worked for goes to crap, and not do anything about it?!"  
  
Phoebe was pissed off. She couldn't believe how the Elders were reacting and she wanted answers. Leo was too tired to remind her to polite to Them. Besides, she kind of had a point and he wanted to hear what they had to say.  
  
"We know what you've done Phoebe but there is no denying that what has happened is you fault. You need to sort it out you selves." The Elder spoke in a tone that was ridiculously condescending.  
  
"Our fault?!" Phoebe was blazing mad. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. " we got attacked in broad daylight, did our best to keep the big secret and saving innocents to the extent that it got one of us hurt really badly and somehow this is our fault. How exactly?"  
  
A different Elder spoke this time, the one that was obviously in charge. As if to infuriate Phoebe even more he spoke to Leo, almost completely disregarding her.  
  
"Leo, it would do you good to control your charges in future. This conversation is closed." And as soon as he finished talking the council of Elders simultaneously orbed out leaving a smoldering Phoebe and despairing Leo behind.  
  
"Come on, we better get back." Leo grabbed Phoebe's hand and the two orbed back, but instead of landing in the hospital room, they landed outside of it. Leo's expression had changed in the short time it took for them to orb; he now looked determined but definitely a little anxious as well. "I'll be back in a while. Go in and make sure everyone's okay."  
  
He orbed out straight away leaving Phoebe feeling extremely confused in the hallway. She knew he was going to do something; that he'd had some sort of idea on the way down her. She just hoped it wasn't something stupid.  
  
*********  
  
A/N: sorry it's short but that seemed a good place to end. Please review!! Oh and some shameless advertising---- I've just started a new story called Diaries so if you haven't already checked it out I'd be grateful if you did! Thanks a lot!! 


	11. Leo

A/N: thanks to Piper+leo4eva, Anarra (the Elders not giving help to the Charmed Ones has always quite confused me too. I prefer to think that they are too cryptic for their own good so they don't realize that they are giving rubbish advice. Or they are just a bit rubbish themselves sometimes! I couldn't say for sure!), bob-the-bear, line100, Eadha Ohn and Sci fi fan for reviewing the last chapter. Since you all wanted another update soon, here it is, enjoy!...  
  
*~Chapter 11~*  
  
Phoebe pushed open the hospital room door and walked into the room. Sunlight streamed through the window, lighting up every corner of the room. It couldn't have differed from her mood more. Piper was awake and was sitting up in her bed playing with Wyatt and Melinda whilst talking to Paige at the same time. Darryl paced back and forth across the window and Alex sat in the chair watching the children as they played and occasionally joining in his wife's and sister-in-law's conversation. They all turned to face Phoebe as she entered the room. No questions were asked. They weren't needed. The expression on her face spoke volumes.  
  
"I can't believe them!" Paige ran an exasperated hand through her hair. She didn't like to admit it but she had no idea how they were going to get out of this mess. Her last hope had been that the Elders would help them but that, it appeared, was just not going to happen.  
  
"Did they say why?" Piper asked. She thought that even They must have a reason this time.  
  
"Just that it was our fault that it happened so we have to sort it out."  
  
"Typical" Paige snorted. Her mind was racing now, struggling through all she knew to try and find a solution to their problem.  
  
"Hey Phoebes, where's Leo?" Piper asked curios. She had realized as soon as Phoebe came in alone that he wasn't there but she thought he'd come in soon. He hadn't.  
  
Darryl stopped in his path. He stared directly out of the window, not believing what met his eyes.  
  
"Oh my God" he breathed. Before anyone had a chance to question him he fled from the room, leaving the door wide open behind him.  
  
"What? What did he see?" Piper immediately questioned, panic rising in her voice. The panic seeped into the room causing Wyatt and Melinda to quickly stop their game and Phoebe to race towards the window. As she peered out of it she could not believe what she was seeing. Somewhere between what her eyes were seeing and what her brain was telling her she was seeing, something must have gotten confused. But no matter how hard she stared, and how hard she wished what she were seeing wasn't real, the truth was inexcusable.  
  
"What is it?" Paige and Piper said almost in unison.  
  
"Just, just switch on the TV and you'll see." Phoebe gestured the small set in the corner of the room. Paige went to switch it in and, sensing something was wrong, Wyatt and Melinda crept into their mother's lap.  
  
The images filled every corner of the room, spreading to fit its size. Phoebe changed the channel 4 times and on every single on it showed the same thing. Leo was standing in the centre of a crowd of journalists, photographers, reporters and ordinary people. The words he spoke didn't matter; his message got across anyway. He was asking, no pleading with them to leave his family alone. And just as clear, if not more so, was their reaction. The fear was evident in their eyes, their expressions and their stances. As hard as they tried to cloak it by hate it still penetrated through. They yelled, screamed and shouted abuse at Leo but still he stood and was silent now. He knew that his pleas had fallen on deaf ears. Eventually Darryl came out of the hospital doors and guided Leo effortlessly back into the building. Inside the room the family he was trying to save was in silent disbelief.  
  
*~*~  
  
A/N: again sorry it's short but it's here all the same!! Review please!! 


	12. Aftermath

A/N: Thanks to Anarra, Piperlover/leo, Piper+leo4eva, Sci fi fan, line100, bob-the-bear, cheeca, Piper15 and Charmed123 for reviewing the last chapter. I now have the most reviews I've ever had so thank you all so much! Hope you all enjoy this...  
  
****  
  
~*Chapter12*~  
  
Phoebe stood by the window still, gazing across the aftermath of what had just happened. Journalists were furiously describing the events in their notebooks, Photographer's flash bulbs were flashing every few seconds as the square of car park that Leo had stood on was recaptured time after time. Television reporters made their comments into hand held TV cameras, adjusting everything slightly so that they were the victims. Phoebe's heart was racing as she watched the scene below. Her head and heart were in constant conflict. Her mind was in disbelief at what Leo had done but then her heart took control and she realized that had the situation been reversed, she would have done exactly the same thing, and, having felt the reasoning behind his decision, that meant she could not blame him for what he did.  
  
Piper was sitting on her bed, her children before her. As she watched them play her mind was running away with her thoughts. Unsurprisingly they were all dwelling on the same subject: Leo. As one part of her raged at the thought that he had just made their situation worse, another part, the part that saw the love and reason behind his actions, suppressed it. She was so confused though. Her only knowledge of the events that led up to her being in the hospital, and their lives exposed, came entirely from what her sisters had told her. It was enough information so she could grasp what they were talking about but it wasn't the same as remembering it herself. She needed to know the experiences that she had felt during the attack. Without that knowledge she couldn't relate anything she was told to what she felt, she couldn't make sense of it all and she couldn't fully understand her family's reactions. It frustrated her to know that she should feel what they were feeling and she felt robbed to know that she didn't; to know that she had no recollection of a series of events that had affected them so deeply.  
  
Her mind stopped as soon as she heard the door open. All her attention was focused on it and the tension and anticipation in the room was strong it almost clouded everything she felt. Darryl walked in first, he almost looked embarrassed, and behind him Leo followed, shutting the door behind him. No one spoke; they didn't need to, least of all Leo. His eyes conveyed what his throat was too blocked by emotion to say. His gaze flitted around the room, trying to gauge some sort of reaction but he was so confused. He didn't even know if he had done the right thing so he couldn't even begin to know if his family had thought he had. All he knew was that at the time it felt like the only thing he could do; what he had to do. Adrenalin still coursed through his body, fresh from what he had just done. His vision mixed with the present and images from the recent past. The thing that stuck in his mind the most was the fear of the crowds. He had never expected it to be so strong, so direct. But it was what it was all the same, whether he had expected it or not.  
  
Piper looked at her husband and her heart ached. He looked so dejected, so lost and she knew what she had to do. Lifting Wyatt to one side, she climbed out of her hospital bed and walked over to Leo. She wrapped her arms around him comforting him like he had comforted her so many times before. He welcomed her gratefully, sensing her understanding and concern for him. As she pulled away she led him back over to the bed. He sat on it, pulling Melinda on to his knee. Piper sat near him, placing Wyatt on her knee. Almost immediately the tension in the room began to ebb away as they saw the family acting perfectly normal with one another.  
  
"So, what now?"  
  
Paige broke the silence. No conversation was needed about what happened in the car park at the hospital. They all understood Leo; he knew that and they knew he knew it too. Various ideas were discussed in answer to Paige's question ranging from the mildly sensible (Paige's suggestion that they just try and live with it "How hard can it be?") to the plain ridiculous (Phoebe's idea of "Leo and Paige can orb us all to the moon, it'll be fun....as a lat resort I mean!").  
  
As the conversation glided along, Wyatt and Melinda played together. Melinda practiced her recently acquired power of telepathy on her brother. As she was only little, she couldn't exactly read his thoughts, it was more like she saw images of them, and of memories. Unfortunately for Wyatt, Melinda had just seen an image of Wyatt a few weeks ago in the kitchen of the manor, orbing himself a cookie from the jar on the counter.  
  
"Cookie!!" Melinda exclaimed happily, only Wyatt heard her though as the adults were caught up in the flow of their conversation. He knew exactly what she meant, and he didn't like it; not one bit. He leaned across the bed and tugged on his mom's arm. Piper turned to look at him.  
  
"What is it honey?"  
  
"Make her forget, mommy. Make Melinda forget what she saw."  
  
Piper looked at his little face and pulled him into a hug. "Sweetie, we can't just make people forget things because we want them too. It doesn't work like that...or does it?!?"  
  
The last bit of what she said was directed at the adults in the room, not at Wyatt. A new plan had begun to formulate in their heads. It was risky and required a lot of power but they might just be able to pull it off, and if they did it would definitely solve their problems.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N: Please review if you liked it and sorry it took a while to update 


	13. Plans

A/N: Thanks to Anarra (thanks for the suggestion. (I completely agree).hope you like what I do with it!), piperlover/leo, Sci fi fan, line100 and Piper15 for reviewing my last chapter. Hope you all enjoy this one...  
  
*~*Chapter 13*~*  
  
"So, how would we do it, memory dust?" Phoebe asked.  
  
They had agreed that erasing people's memories would be the best solution. They wished they could get people to understand about their lives but they had decided it was pointless; people just wouldn't be willing to listen and care. Leo's confrontation had proved that.  
  
"No, it's too vague. We need to be more specific," Leo dismissed it straight away, "plus we need a lot of power to do it-more than memory dust has."  
  
"Okay. So what? A Power of Three spell?" Paige suggested. She was pacing across the room, in an effort to make her mind think better.  
  
"I don't know," Leo answered again "even that might not have enough power. There will be a lot of memories to alter."  
  
"Right...of course. What then?" Paige sat down in the only empty chair. She couldn't seem to think of a reasonable solution and that frustrated her.  
  
"You need to draw the Power from somewhere that has a lot" Leo started.  
  
"Like the entire Halliwell line, you mean?" Piper asked. Leo responded by a slight nod of the head 'yes'.  
  
Piper wasn't entirely convinced that this was the best plan to overcome their problems. It just felt too much like conceding defeat to her. Before she had a chance to voice her concern, the door to the hospital room opened. A flash of anxious curiosity flitted around the room. They knew that everyone who had accepted who they were, was already in the room. That left little option for who the person on the other side of the door would be.  
  
The door swung fully open and framed in the door way was Doctor Miles. She looked apprehensive but gentle. Strangely though, she wasn't apprehensive about who the family were, but about how they would react to her; whether they would trust her enough to let her help them. She wasn't stupid and knew that their trust was a lot to ask from them at the minute. But equally she hoped she stood a chance of at least putting her idea to them.  
  
"Doctor Miles?" Phoebe questioned, the puzzlement was evident in her voice. "What are you doing in here?" All theories of the doctor needing to examine Piper had flown out of Phoebe's mind. Truth be told, she wasn't sure if they had been there in the first place. They all knew that, short of a few memory problems, Piper was basically fine.  
  
"I've come to help" and with those words Dr. Miles shut the door and walked into the small room.  
  
"Why would you want to help us?" Paige was curious why the doctor had come to help them. She wasn't sure what to expect. She'd learned over the past few years to 'expect the unexpected' but what did that really mean? In essence she was sure it meant to expect everything you had considered might happen and then don't be surprised if something entirely different occurs instead. This was definitely a time when that philosophy applied. She had no reason not to trust Dr.Miles, but that didn't means he was going to but faith in every word she said either. She needed more information first.  
  
"Because I've seen you as good people, who certainly don't deserve everything that they," she motioned out of the window toward the crowd below, "are putting you through."  
  
"That is very true, but why do you want to help. What do you get out of it?" Phoebe asked. Her guard was beginning to slip. She was starting to believe that Dr. Miles was going to help them.  
  
"The reassurance and peace of mind that good people will not be punished and people's attitudes and opinions can be changed."  
  
The room was silent for a brief moment, as each member of the family made up their mind about what they should do. They shared glances; the expression on each of their faces said exactly the same thing. Undeniable hope shone through, it was hope that the hell they had lived recently would soon be over, and that there was a new solution to their problem. A solution that they would all , hopefully, be entirely comfortable with.  
  
Piper ended the silence. Her voice low and serious, but warm at the same time. It was directed towards her doctor.  
  
"Okay. So what's your plan?"  
  
***************  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading and please review! 


	14. New Plan

A/N: thanks to Cheeca, Cocoa, Piper+leo4eva, Charmed123, line100, Sci fi fan, piper15 and Anarra for updating the last chapter. I'm sorry this one has taken so long in coming but I actually wrote it about 5days ago but for some reason my stupid computer wouldn't let me upload it. Anyway, I nagged my dad to fix the computer so here is the next chapter...at last!  
  
*~*Chapter 14*~*  
  
The room was silent for a moment. Dr.Miles didn't really know what to say. She had an idea of a plan but she had no clue if it would work. She didn't really know what she was getting involved in, all she knew that these were good people and she felt compelled to help them.  
  
"It's just an idea, so I'm not sure it will work but just give it a chance." She started, "It's obvious that the media are afraid of you and are against you for one reason or another, but when it comes down to it, it is because they don't understand you and can't explain you. So my idea is that we try and get them to understand you, through and interview or a press conference, something along those lines. Then this way you are eliminating the source of their fear and therefore the fear itself. What do you think?"  
  
Not for the first time in the past few days, the family was in thought. Piper answered the question.  
  
"I think...that it might just work. I mean, I don't know about you guys but I just didn't feel comfortable about clearing everyone's memories, it just felt too easy. This way, we are actually doing something to work through our problems instead of just erasing them." There were various nods and murmurs of agreement from the people in the room. "But," Piper continued, "Once we've don't this I don't know if I'll be happy letting basically everybody know about us being witches. I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with letting my children grow up in a world where they will be unable to experience as normal a childhood as possible."  
  
"That's okay. I completely agree." Phoebe spoke on behalf of everyone. "And if this works and we feel that way at the end then we can always work on the memories later. But I just have to believe that people's opinions can be changed first."  
  
"We all do." Paige summed up. "Hey, Leo, will the Elders be okay with this or do we have to check with them first?"  
  
"They told us to figure out a solution on our own and that's what we are doing. Maybe this is what they meant by that" Leo replied.  
  
"Okay, so the big question is: how are we going to do this?" Alex asked  
  
"Well, you need to decide – press conference or interview?" Dr.Miles answered.  
  
"I could see if I could get a reporter from the paper to do one" Phoebe suggested. She still worked at the Bay Mirror, but the paper was no longer owned by Jason.  
  
"Yeah, that could work, and then at least we'd sort of know the person that did it." Leo said.  
  
"But a press conference would reach more people. You need to change the opinion of the media and the public remember." Darryl said. He had kept mostly quiet on the issue. Playing with Melinda and Wyatt instead, but he'd been listening. It was his job to protect the family and he needed to make sure they did the right thing. Even though he himself was unsure what exactly that was.  
  
"I still think I prefer an interview though. I don't know if I want to have questions fired at me and have to think up answers on the spot." Paige said. Everyone else agreed and Phoebe left the room to use the payphone down the hall to try and arrange and interview with one of the paper's reporters.  
  
The night was drawing close and the family had few choices of where to go. Dr. Miles wanted piper to stay in the hospital overnight and said that Leo could stay too. It was decided that Darryl would take Wyatt and Melinda to his house for the night as that was as far away from the reporters as any of them could get. Unfortunately, Darryl had no room for anybody else. The children gave their parents, aunt and uncle goodnight hugs before Leo orbed them and Darryl to Darryl's house. Because Phoebe had only moved into her house opposite the Manor a few days go, not many people knew that she lived there, including the reporters. It was for this reason that it was decided that Paige and Alex, along with Phoebe herself, would stay there tonight.  
  
Upon Leo's return, Phoebe burst into the room with the information that one of the reporters from the paper who also happened to be her friend, would come to do the interview tomorrow at 11.  
  
The adults prolonged the inevitable for as long as possible before Paige orbed herself, her husband and Phoebe away for the night, and the family was split up around the city. They all knew it was necessary but none of them were completely sure of it. A feeling that was reflected towards the impending interview that awaited them when the sanctuary of sleep was over and the morning came.  
  
***********  
  
A/N: Hope you and enjoyed it and please please review! The bad news is I'm going to be away for most of the next two weeks. I'll be home for a day in the middle and I'll try and update then but I don't know how possible that will be, sorry. Oh yeah, if you have any ideas about what should happen next, please tell me. Thanks. 


	15. Darkness

A/N: thanks to Piper+leo4eva, Charmed123, Anarra, LostDarkness, Sci fi fan, Svata2004, Cocoa and line100 for reviewing my last chapter. I'm now back from London, Newcastle and various other places so I can update (yeay!). I apologize for how short this is but it seemed like the right place to end...  
  
*~*Chapter 15*~*  
  
Leo was just about to orb out when piper stirred awake. He recognized the question in her tired eyes and answered it before she had a chance to voice it.  
  
"It's the Elders. I promise I'll try and be back for the interview."  
  
"okay" They both knew his promise was pointless. No matter how much he tried, the Elders wouldn't let him leave until they wanted him too. He moved closer and kissed her gently.  
  
"I love you2 he told her and began to orb out.  
  
"I love you too," she uttered the words to a cluster of sparkling lights and watched as the room retained its darkness.  
  
It couldn't be more than 3am and the hospital was quiet apart from the far off sound of footsteps as a nurse did her night rounds. Piper was used to Leo orbing out, but this time it was different. At home, in familiar surroundings and with family near, the darkness comforted her. Here, in alien surroundings, it isolated her. In the infinite darkness and near silence, piper felt utterly alone.  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut, as much in an effort to stop the tears as it was an attempt to get some sleep. Eventually, sleep came and Piper fell fitfully into it.  
  
*  
  
She woke with a start. It was dark, so dark that she couldn't see anything. Anyone. She knew they were there though, she felt their hand pressing on her mouth, suppressing the scream that rose up inside her. She wrapped her arms around her body, protecting her baby. Protecting herself.  
  
How did no one else not know that this was going on? The sheer panic that roared through her was deafening. She looked around wildly as the two figures roughly pulled her of the bed and onto her feet. She fought back as much as she could, but it was useless. They were too strong for her, and the more she struggled , the tighter they held her. Roughly the hand covering her mouth was replaced by a gag that was tied so tightly that it cut through the skin on her face.  
  
Her eyes shone through the darkness, expressing a rage of emotions: panic, fear, confusion, terror, defiance. Her kidnappers saw what she felt but it didn't stop what they did next. It didn't stop the fierce blow to the head they gave her; it didn't stop the blood as it trickled down her head. And it didn't stop her from slipping into a colder darkness than she had ever experienced as they tightly tied her hands together with a rough cord of rope and took her away.  
  
**** A/N: hope you liked it and please review. There should be another update up in a few days time. Also if you want the kidnappers to be demons, mortals, press or have any other ideas then please say. Thanks a million! 


	16. Taken

A/N: I want to say a huge thank you to everybody who has reviewed this fic because I now have 106 reviews and I never ever expected this to get anywhere near there-so thank you all! And now a special thanks to Versatilecutie, Cocoa, Anarra, charmed123, line100, sci fi fan, bob-the- bear, cheeca and Piper+leo4eva for reviewing the last chapter. Hope you all like this one...  
  
*Chapter 16*  
  
For one perfect moment, Phoebe believed that everything was normal, as it should be. She was in that indefinable time between being asleep and being awake, and real life couldn't reach her. All too soon though, it did and when it hit-it hurt.  
  
All thoughts, memories and emotions of the past few days returned to the front of her mind and she had no choice but to pay attention, however painful or overwhelming it was. She willed herself to fall back to sleep, even if it was just for a short while. But she knew that it was no use, they would have to return to the hospital soon to do the interview. So, reluctantly, she dragged herself and down the stairs.  
  
As she reached the kitchen she saw Paige and Alex sitting at the kitchen table. She greeted them and walked gratefully over to the coffee machine, poured herself a cup and moved towards the table and sat opposite her sister.  
  
"We should probably go soon" Alex said as he checked his watch.  
  
"Yeah, I know-it's just..."  
  
"What's wrong?" Phoebe looked carefully at her sister  
  
"I dunno, I just have this...feeling , I guess, that something's happened. Something that we're missing."  
  
Phoebe considered what her sister had said for a moment before talking  
  
"Yeah," she said thoughtfully "now you mention it, I know what you mean...so what do we do?"  
  
"Go to the hospital. It's the only place I can think of." Paige replied  
  
"Okay then," Phoebe waited for a second then motioned impatiently with her arms, "Come on. Orb"  
  
"Erm, Phoebes, you might might what to get dressed first."  
  
Phoebe suddenly looked sheepish, "Oh yeah. Okay, meet me here in 10 minutes." And with that she ran up the stairs.  
  
Just as she reached the top, there was a shrill ring of the doorbell. Automatically, Paige got up and walked towards the door, then caution crept into her consciousness-after what had happened recently, it could have been anyone wanting anything behind the door. She diverted into the sitting room as the door bell continued its frantic piercing ring. Paige pulled Back the curtain and looked out of the window. Immediately she thanked herself for not going straight to the front door as the awfulness of what she saw reached her mind.  
  
In front of the house lay a sea of photographers, reporters and other members of the press. They stretched from the Manor and Paige's own house, onto the pavement, across the road and now they reached Phoebe's house as well. Their last safe haven was gone, ripped from them even though they were inside of it.  
  
Paige pushed the curtain back into place and stormed away from the window. She couldn't deal with that at the minute. The dread that something bad had happened had worsened inside of her. She blocked out the persistent ringing of the doorbell and stood at the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Phoebe!" she yelled to her sister to hurry up.  
  
Alex came out of the kitchen, he said nothing. He knew better than to ask what was wrong. Instead he just let her know he was there for her-no questions asked. It was something she was instantly grateful for.  
  
A dressed phoebe came running down the stairs. Panic etched in her face,  
  
"Have you seen..?" She stuttered and motioned outside.  
  
"Yes. Come on we need to go"  
  
"Paige, how can you just dismiss it like that?" Phoebe was confused by the way her younger sister was acting.  
  
2What else am I supposed to do?" Paige answered, "I'm scared about what is going to happen to us all and that fear grows every minute. And that," she motioned out toward the crowd outside the door, "is just way to much for me to handle at the minute so can we *please* just go to the hospital because I can't shake of the feeling that something is going on, and what ever it is, it's not good."  
  
Phoebe understood her sister completely. There was too much to think about now so the implications of the press finding out where they were would just have to wait. Besides, as much as she had tried to ignore it, a heavy feeling of dread had settled in the pit of her stomach; she was just as anxious to go to the hospital as Paige was.  
  
The 3 orbed out of Phoebe's house and rematerialized in a flurry of blue lights in the center of Piper's hospital room; Piper's empty hospital room.  
  
The immediate sight made them feel sick, furious, scared and worried all at the same time. The sheets were tangled and twisted, trailing across the floor as the pillow lay helplessly cast aside. Their eyes followed the trail the sheets made and shock soared through them as a bright crimson patch of blood glared up from the floor.  
  
"Oh my God." Phoebe and Paige breathed. It was hard to take the scene in, never mind deal with what it actually meant. But, however much they tried to deny it and wish it wasn't true, the fact of what had happened was harshly plain and simple. Their sister had been taken, with and obvious struggle.  
  
"Leo!!" They shouted simultaneously, each time getting more and more frantic.  
  
On the third call, a cluster of blue lights formed and materialized into their brother-in-law. He stared at phoebe and Paige in bewilderment for a brief moment before reading their expressions perfectly. He looked around the room, taking everything in painfully. His face became a mask of a thousand emotions-none of which were good, before a single word fell from his mouth in a hoarse whisper.  
  
"Piper."  
  
*****  
  
A/N: hope you liked it, please review! 


	17. Cold

A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in ages but I've had a mild case of writer's block which meant that it was really hard (and slow) writing this chapter. Thanks to Anarra (thank you for the help, it was very useful!!), Charmed123, Cocoa, Sci fi fan, pccflaherty, line100, Piper15 and Pipery03 for reviewing the last chapter. I hope you like this...  
  
*~*Chapter17*~*  
  
The coarse cloth cut through Piper's eyes as she tried, in a vain attempt, to open them. She was disorientated and confused, having just regained consciousness. She saw nothing and new nothing about where she was or why. She couldn't even shout for help-the gag digging into her mouth saw to that. She was cold, so cold that all she wanted to do was sleep. She felt like she was drowning; being dragged into an icy lake until she couldn't breathe, couldn't think. All she could do was feel the cold as it roared through her. But one thing kept her grounded; the feel of her baby as it kicked, as it let her know that she wasn't alone and that she needed to fight; that she needed to live.  
  
She began to become more aware, she could feel the searing pain slicing through her head; she could feel the tight chord of rope as it burned and bruised her wrists, tying them together, as well as tying herself to a hard, metal support beam. She also heard the sound of footsteps. They circled her, over and over and over before finally pausing behind her and unfastening her blindfold. She tensed at the feel of the hands as they brushed her head, pulling savagely at the knot. As the blindfold fell away, she blinked continuously whilst her surroundings swam and distorted before her, as her eyes tried to refocus after the pressure that had been bestowed upon them. Soon, though, the images settled and defined and Piper found herself looking up into the cold, unflinching grey eyes of her kidnapper.  
  
X  
  
"Where...where is she?" Leo asked. His head was alive with frantic thoughts, fragments of which fell out of his mouth before he could stop them. But, as his mind was full of life, the rest of him felt dead. Empty.  
  
Phoebe felt sick. Just looking at the mess in the room made her want to sort it all out. She wanted to straighten the blankets and pillows like nothing had happened, and then she wanted to see Piper walking back into the room-as if everything was fine. But she couldn't. The reddish brown stain on the floor constantly reminded her that Piper was not okay; that her big sister had been hurt and taken, and they didn't know by who or to where.  
  
Paige decided to take charge. She knew neither her sister, husband or brother in law were going to, so it was up to her. Anyway, it was better than falling apart.  
  
"Phoebe, try and get a premonition of where she is off the blankets and stuff." She suggested, "Leo, can you sense her? And Alex can you see if you can find Dr.Miles- we'll need her. I'm going to orb to Darryl and explain what is going on. I'll ask him to keep Wyatt and Melinda for the rest of the day too."  
  
She was responded by silent nods before she orbed out in a sparkling stream of Blue and white lights. She rematerialized at Darryl's house to see Wyatt and Melinda playing with Darryl's children. The scene both calmed and saddened her for the same reason: seeing her niece and nephew playing normally and oblivious to the disaster that their lives were becoming. Wyatt looked up from the game and saw her.  
  
"Auntie Paige!" He yelled before running over to her, Melinda toddled as fast as she could behind him.  
  
"Hey Kids!" Paige bent down to hug them, "you having fun?" they nodded animatedly.  
  
"Where's mommy and daddy?" Wyatt asked.  
  
"They can't come right now, honey." Paige replied gently, "Do you know where Darryl is?"  
  
"I'm here" Darryl walked into the room carrying a tray of snacks; he put them down on a table before going over to Paige. She gave one more hug to her niece and nephew before standing up as he approached. The two walked over to a settee that was far away from the children so they couldn't be heard, but near enough to see them still playing.  
  
"What's wrong? Has something happened?" Darryl asked, concerned, as soon as they sat down.  
  
Paige relaxed. She knew there was no need for her to be in charge her- Darryl would do that. She was free to worry; she was free to be scared.  
  
"Piper's been taken and the media know about Phoebe's house." There was no need to span it out-she didn't have the energy to do so anyway.  
  
"What! She's been taken? Who by?"  
  
"We don't know. It's awful. The room is a mess. There's blood. Leo's distraught. Phoebe's close."  
  
"And you?"  
  
"I'm trying not to fall apart." She gave a weak laugh, "can you help? I don't know what to do."  
  
"Of course I can. Wyatt and Melinda can stay here; Sheila was going to offer anyway. They'll be safe and no one will be able to get them. I'll come to the hospital with you and phone the station. This is a high profile case so there's a good chance that the guy who took her isn't, you know, a demon."  
  
"Thanks." Paige said. She needed him to make the decisions.  
  
"It's okay. We'll get her back, Paige. I promise you we will do everything we can to get her back."  
  
X  
  
"We don't want to hurt you, Piper." The voice was calm and didn't come from the man that was standing over her. Painfully she twisted herself and saw a second man. He was sitting on a bench, his back leaning against a damp, grey wall.  
  
"We should be more concerned about her hurting us anyway!" The first man snorted.  
  
The second man disregarded what he said and carried on, "We only want you to talk to us. The public has a right to know who and what you and your family are."  
  
Piper's mind raced. 'What abut my rights?' she thought. She tried to look defiant; she wanted to feel defiant. But it was hard, the pounding in her head was deafening and it was a struggle just to keep aware. She could feel herself slipping into the icy coldness again. It didn't seem to mater how much she tried to stay awake; she knew she was falling away. And there was nothing she could do to stop it. ****  
  
A/N: hope you liked it, please review and if you have any ideas please include them also. Thank you. 


	18. Sink or Swim

A/n: Thanks to Charmed123, anarra, cocoa, versatilecutie, sci fi fan, sweetoliloquise, line100, Piperleo4eva and bob-the bear for reviewing the last chapter. Hope you like this one; it's one of the longest I've ever written!!  
  
**Chapter 18**  
  
It was Sunday morning and Piper was in bed. She turned comfortably in Leo's arms until she was facing him. He smiled down at her, his eyes warm and loving.  
  
"Morning," he said as he lent in for a small kiss.  
  
"Up, up, up!" The happy voice of Melinda floated through the open bedroom door, as she announced to her parents that she was ready to get up.  
  
Piper moved to get out of bed but Leo beat her to it.  
  
"I'll get her. You stay here"  
  
As he went to walk out of the door, a small boy raced into the room and clambered up onto the bed.  
  
"Hi ya mommy!"  
  
"Good morning sweetie" she reached out her arms and grabbed her son, tickling him as his giggles erupted and filled the room. Leo returned, carrying Melinda, and climbed back into bed whilst Wyatt earnestly began talking to Piper's stomach; telling his new bay sister all about what they'd do when she was born.  
  
"Piper" the voice cam from outside the room. It was distant and piper couldn't recognize it.  
  
"Piper!" One by one Leo, Melinda and Wyatt faded away. Piper was left alone and the walls began to age and wear away until only bare blue- grey stone was left.  
  
"Piper!!" The voice was close and the temperature dropped several degrees as devastation and harsh realization hit Piper and she finally regained consciousness.  
  
"Like I said, we don't want to hurt you, Piper." The man carried on as though no time had passed since he last spoke to her. "But if you leave us with no choice, then we will do what is necessary."  
  
Now she thought about it, Piper wasn't sure how much time had passed since she was taken. There were no windows where she was now and she'd slipped in and out of consciousness so many times that it was impossible to know how long she'd been away for. It could have been minutes, hours. Even days. How ever long it had been, she felt herself getting weaker each time she resumed consciousness, and, as much as she tried not to admit it to herself, she knew that she wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer. She also knew that her kidnappers were in way over their heads; they just hadn't realized it yet.  
  
"We're going to untie your gag now and if you even think about shouting for help or pulling some crazy stunt then you will regret it- understand?" the first man she'd seen spoke as he unforgivingly pulled the knot out of the bank of the cloth that was stretched over her mouth.  
  
His own mouth was set firm and seemed to be permanently turned down. His eyes were cold as they stared at her suspiciously and his voice was continually hard. From what she had gathered from the interaction of the two men, his name was Carter. The second man was larger than his companion in both height and complexity. He was built so that he could inflict physical pain upon somebody but Piper knew he never would unless he believed it completely necessary. She'd seen him be understanding and almost gentle, but he was guarded and that, for the most part, meant he was brisk, regimented and distant. His name was Rees.  
  
"So," Carter looked distastefully directly at her, "what are you?"  
  
"Excuse me?" Her voice was barely a whisper; faint and hoarse.  
  
"I said, what are you?!" She recoiled on instinct as he pronounced each word vigorously. He didn't wait for an answer this time; instead he began to walk back and forth in front of her, thinking and explaining aloud. "I've seen the footage, hell most of the world has seen it. I've interviewed eye witnesses and I've made records, definitions and commentaries as experts and analysts have theorized about what exactly you are. I've heard it all- good or evil, sorceresses or witches, or even just one big hoax. I've done all that, just like all the other reporters have, but not any more. Now I'm doing what no one has, I'm talking to one of you...creatures directly and I will not let your insolence get in my way." He glared expectantly at her.  
  
She tried to talk; to respond so that she could be heard. But she couldn't. All of her energy was being spent on just staying aware. If she opened her mouth, she knew no sound would come out. She knew he spoke but the words took longer to be absorbed by her than they should have, and their meaning took even longer to register. She knew she should be outraged that he didn't even consider her a person, but she just didn't have the strength to care.  
  
Carter was sick of waiting for a response. He raised his hand and Piper's body braced impulsively. Quickly, but calmly, Rees held Carter's arm fast from behind and the smaller man swung around.  
  
"Think about this Carter. You hit her and the whole thing gets worse."  
  
Carter knew his companion was right and lowered his arm. Rees continued "She's hurt. She's too exhausted to talk." He finally let go of Carter's arm, now he knew he wouldn't do anything stupid.  
  
"So what do we do?" Carter asked.  
  
"She needs a hospital." Rees stated  
  
"Grate idea" Carter mocked, "we take her back and we're busted."  
  
"I said she needed one. I never said that's what we'd do" Rees snapped.  
  
The cold roared through Piper again and she tried desperately to fight it. Her body was numb and she tried to will herself not to slip away. She focused on Rees and Carter talking but they seemed far way-their voices echoed and soon she couldn't hear them. Her head throbbed and her grip on herself loosened as the inevitable came and she fell into unconsciousness once more.  
  
The event had not gone unnoticed by Rees and Carter.  
  
"It's happening faster. She'd only just come around." Panic was rising in Carter's voice.  
  
The words had barely come out of his mouth when the screech of tires could be heard outside followed by the slamming of vehicle doors.  
  
"This is the SFPD" a policeman's voice was heard inside the stone room. It was distorted by the megaphone and echoed, but everything it said and implied was uncomfortably clear. "We urge you to release Piper Halliwell and give yourself up to police custody. For everyone's safety"  
  
Carter and Rees exchanged glances. Carter's alarm was evident on his face and in his stance. Characteristically Rees, at first, appeared unaffected, but he knew the ramifications of what had happened. He knew that somehow they'd not been as careful as they had thought. He knew that there only option was to realize and admit that or the situation would worsen. Unfortunately, he also knew that Carter was not in a state to negotiate-and that is exactly what could be their massive weakness.  
  
What followed was an uncomfortable and long period. More vehicles could be heard pulling up outside and more people could be heard arriving. As the minutes crawled on, the police made several attempts to persuade Carter and Rees to release Piper, and Rees himself tried to Persuade Carter to do the same thing.  
  
Carter was panicking. He'd got himself too far into this and he desperately wanted to get out, but he didn't know how. he had never meant to injure someone' he had never meant for it to get this bad. In the end he did the only thing he saw possible, he reached deep into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a jet black revolver. He extended his arm and took aim.  
  
Outside a single gun shot rang through the air. There was a moments silence then all hell broke loose.  
  
A/N: hope you liked and review please! 


	19. Waiting and Hoping

A/N: thanks to Caroline, Anarra, Piperleo4eva, OrbingPunk, Versatilecutie, Sci Fi Fan, line100, Charmed123, Charmedfreak37 and TKPiper for reviewing the last chapter. Hope you like this one...  
  
**Chapter 19  
**  
Phoebe could hear screaming everywhere; continuous. Her body shook and it was a few moments before she realized that most of the screams were from her, but she still couldn't stop them. In the near distance she saw Leo being held back by Police officers. He was struggling to get free and his eyes were fixed on the building in front of him; determination, loyalty and pain etched on his face.  
  
Other Police officers were racing toward the building and an ambulance pulled up , siren blaring. But she couldn't hear it. All she heard was screaming and the empty ringing that the gun shot had left in its wake.  
  
Paige stood next to Phoebe, gripping her sister's hand until neither of them could feel a thing. A million scenarios of what was going on inside ran through her head, and none of them ended well. Her face was deadly white and her whole body hurt.  
  
Darryl was the first police officer to reach the room, what he saw completely overwhelmed him. There was too much to take in, there was too much to do. There was just too little time.  
  
Piper lay slumped against a metal support pole, just off the centre of the room. Her hands were bound with tight rope, her face was unnaturally pale and dark circles framed her shut eyes. Her hair was matted, mixed with sticky blood in a small patch towards the back. The rest lay in wild tangles. Darryl was immediately struck by how different she looked from the Piper he knew and loved; she looked so vulnerable and still. What caused him the most pain, though, was that he couldn't tell if she was dead or alive. Cautiously he moved over to her, and gently rested a hand on her neck to feel a pulse. She was cold to touch and for a horrific moment he feared the worst, but then he felt a weak, but present, pulse beating faintly under her ghostly skin.  
  
By now more police officers had entered the room, along with some paramedics. He shouted for the paramedics to come over and, once satisfied that Piper was in good care, he turned his attention to the rest of the room. Carter and Rees were on the other side of the room. A police officer was trying to handcuff and arrest Rees but the Rees was just too strong for the man. He shouted out and kept running back to a figure sprawled across the floor. The figure was Carter and he lay motionless in a pool of crimson blood. Out of pure panic and desperation, he had shot himself.  
  
Darryl was in the same position as every other official in the small putrid room; he had no clue of what happened since Piper was taken. It caused his head to spin but he regained his composure and took charge.  
  
Outside, it felt like an age had passed to Piper's family before the first people emerged from the building. It was two paramedics. Between them was a stretcher, upon which lay a thick black body back. Phoebe's stomach lurched. Her worst fears were coming true. She felt Paige's grip on her hand tighten and the two sisters were soon in an unyielding embrace. They shook with emotion and terrible realization. Leo couldn't believe it. Not for the first time in recent days, he felt his world crash down around him. But then...he felt relief. He saw hope. He saw another set of paramedics emerge from the building between them was also a stretcher and on the stretcher was Piper. He knew it was her even though she looked smaller and gaunter than she should. He pushed the police officers around him away and raced over to his wife and grasped her hand tightly, he didn't care what everyone around him was saying; he was never going to leave her side.  
  
Paige saw Leo run. Then she saw what he saw and the emotion behind her tears changed instantaneously from pain to relief. Dragging a confused Phoebe behind her she joined Leo at Piper's side as they boarded a near by ambulance. She knew that what lay ahead of them was going to be tough, but for that moment she didn't care; she had her sister back and that was all that mattered.

A/N: I know this was a bit short and I'm sorry but I didn't want to go into the hospital stuff yet. Now... you might hate me but please don't too much! I'm just about to start my GCSEs at school (for those of you who don't know, they are about 14 exams over a 4 week period that I have been working for for 2 years and basically decide what I can do at college next year.) That means that a lot of my time is going to be spent revising which means there will be few, if any, updates over the next month. But the good news is that once I've done them I don't have to go back to school till September so I'll be able to update a lot more then. This also applies to Diaries but I'll try and update that in the next few days first. Sorry!!  
  
**Please review -it'll make me happy!**


	20. Pain from Love

A/N:My exams are finished!!!! I finished my last one 2 hours ago to be exact! So no more school until September and Thanks to Piperleo4eva, orbing Punk, Charmed123, line100, Versatile Cutie, Anarra, bob-the-bear and Tk Piper for your reviews of the last chapter and your support for my exams. Here's the next chapter, I just hope there's still some interest out there!...  
  
Chapter 20  
  
For two weeks Piper had lain in a coma. And for two weeks Leo had barely left her side. They were in a different room from the one she had had originally. This was bigger, with more machines and monitors. It was evening and the sun glowed golden through the window on the far side of the room. The bed was in the middle of the room, white blankets lay gently over Piper's body which was encased in a white hospital gown. Her hair reflected the sun causing a glow to settle over her head. The whole thing would have been peaceful if it weren't for the hurt that was so obvious.  
  
Paige had just left to collect Wyatt and Melinda from Darryl and Sheila. She'd take them back to the manor. They missed their mommy but were too young to understand what was going on.  
  
Phoebe and Leo were sitting at opposite sides of the hospital bed. They looked at Piper seeing all the things that meant she was in a coma and not just sleeping. The small bandage covering the wound on her head that bled relentlessly at least once a day; the painless and frailty of her skin that was peppered with pale bruises where drips and injections had been placed and blood had been taken for testing; her arms lay on top of the blankets, protectively over her pregnant stomach, at the wrists bruises discolored purple, blue, indigo, black whilst scars and burns puckered and wept where ropes had dug in continuous for 4 days; whilst they couldn't see it, they knew it was there, along her spine were painful marks inflicted by the steel pole she'd been tied too.  
  
The doctors didn't know when she would wake. She lost blood everyday and a lot of the nutrients they gave her went straight to the baby. Her body was exhausted and couldn't fight for much longer. The doctors knew this and so did Leo, Phoebe and Paige. It didn't make it any easier though.  
  
In the days following Piper's rescue, the media attention had been worse than ever. But gradually, with no new information, the chaos had died down. Every few days reporters would phone the hospital wanting to know if Piper was awake, but other than that they pretty much stayed away. It seemed like they'd been shocked by what the consequences of a reporter too eager for a story had been.  
  
The police investigation into the kidnap had gone basically the same way. With Carter dead and Piper in a coma, Rees was in police custody. The case couldn't continue without Piper's statement.  
  
It had been 441 hours and 36 minutes since Leo had last heard his wife's voice; since he'd last heard her say 'I love you'. He felt each second pass with a searing pain. Darkness fell and hurt as Leo and Phoebe succumbed to the knowledge that Piper had spent another day in a coma.  
  
Every 2 hours a doctor would come to check Piper. This evening it was Dr. Miles' shift and she came without the usual accompaniment of nurses and wearing a look on her face that made Leo and Phoebe all too aware that that good news was not about to follow.  
  
"What is it? What's wrong?" Phoebe asked wearily.  
  
"There's been some... developments in Piper's condition. It seems that as her body has become more and more exhausted, her initial injuries are beginning to become more of a problem again."  
  
"How is that possible!?" Panicked, Phoebe directed her question at Leo. He answered, never taking his eyes away from Piper.  
  
"The baby's young. Her powers are weak. They aren't supposed to be under this much pressure"  
  
2What does that mean?" This time she asked Dr. Miles.  
  
"At the minute there inn's much damage but we do need to be careful because if the bleeding starts again then we're in real trouble. You need to realize that Piper is weak and even the slightest extra strain might be too much."  
  
"Are you saying she's...she's going to...die?" Phoebe choked out. She didn't know if she'd survive this. It couldn't be happening again. She didn't want to let it. But what could she do?  
  
"Not definitely, but you need to prepare yourself that it's looking more and more possible." Dr. Miles spoke gravely.  
  
The knowledge floated in the air and sunk slowly and painfully into Leo and Phoebe before settling heavy and awfully in the pit of their stomachs.  
  
"No, no, no" Phoebe sobbed over and over. Shaking her head; hoping it wasn't true, but at the same time, knowing it was.  
  
"You can't Piper, I can't loose you" Leo whispered tears rolling down his face. With all the pain he felt, crying seemed easy. He wanted to do more. He stretched his hands out over Piper, he wanted so desperately for them to glow, for her to be healed and everything to go back to how it was.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
He screwed his hands up. Hating them for not doing what he wanted. He brought them up to his forehead, staring at the ceiling. Seeing through the white tiles, seeing through the sky. Seeing the Elders and hating them more than he thought possible. He didn't understand why they wouldn't let him heal her; why they were going to take her away from him. He brought his hands down, clutched one of Piper's still hands in his own burning ones; never letting her go. With the other hand he supported his head and did the only thing left, easy or no, he sobbed and cried and shook.  
  
Dr. Miles knew there was more she had to tell them. But she also knew they wouldn't be able to handle it yet. She'd do it in a half an hour. After that, they may be no time left.  
  
A/N: Hope you enjoyed it and please review, I've missed them!! 


	21. Solution?

A/N: Thanks to Orbing Punk, Skye, Psychokitty3, Piper15, Piperleo4eva, Charmed-aussie, Sci fi fan, Cool Charmed chic, line100, Charmed123, Anarra, Versatile cutie and Bubblz for reviewing the last chapter. I'm glad you liked it so much and I never meant to make you wait this long for the next one, sorry! I hope you like it though....  
  
**Chapter 21**  
  
About 30 minutes passed and Phoebe and Leo didn't move, but slowly the sobs subsided and what was left was the horrible knowledge; raw and painful. Phoebe managed to muster up enough sense to inform Paige of the news and left Leo alone with Piper to make the call.  
  
3 short rings filled the manor before Paige answered.  
  
"Paige, it's me." Phoebe's voice cracked under the emotion. Paige felt sick. She immediately feared the worst and she couldn't handle it.  
  
"Oh no!!! Has she..." the sentence hung in the air. They both knew what she meant.  
  
"No!" Phoebe paused adding "Not yet anyway" as an after thought.  
  
"What does that mean?" Paige was urgent; she needed to know what was going on.  
  
"They said that the injuries from the attack in the shop had started to come back. They said she might be too weak to survive it. Paige, they said she could die." Phoebe couldn't cry anymore but she could feel and she could hurt.  
  
Paige didn't have that problem. The sobs fell freely and it was a few minutes before she could talk.  
  
"I'm coming to the hospital Phoebe, I have to be there."  
  
"Okay. What about Wyatt and Melinda? They can't see her like this."  
  
"I'll phone Darryl and orb them over on my way to you. I'll be there soon."  
  
"Okay, Hurry"  
  
Paige put the phone back on its cradle. Why had things turned so bad? She sat down on the settee and let out all her sadness whilst she was alone; she needed to be strong when she reached the hospital.  
  
"Okay Paige, come one. You can do this." She coached herself and tried to calm herself down. She plucked a couple of tissues from the table in front of her, wiped her eyes, took a few deep breaths and turned to face the stairs.  
  
Up until them she had had her back to them, so it was only at that moment she saw Wyatt sitting half way down the stairs, clutching the leg of a teddy bear and staring at her through a gap in the banisters.  
  
"Hi" she spoke in a voice so full of forced cheerfulness it sounded alien to her.  
  
Satisfied that she wanted him to come down the rest of the steps, Wyatt got up and slowly made his way down. Not a word was spoken until the child was in front of his aunt. Paige tried to gauge how long he had been there, how much he'd heard, but that was impossible. She bent down, picking him up and talking to him at the same time.  
  
"What you doing up?" Her voice still belonged to the alien.  
  
Wyatt rested his head on his aunt's shoulder. He put one arm around her neck and clutched his teddy in the other.  
  
"I miss mommy." He whispered it so tiny and innocently it made her heart break.  
  
"I know you do baby, I know. I miss her too." She gently rubbed his back as she talked; as much in an effort to calm herself down as to calm him down. "I need to go and see mommy, Aunt Phoebe and daddy right now, so I'll need to take you and Melinda to Uncle Darryl's house okay?"  
  
"Okay Auntie Paige. Please make mommy better." He yawned sleepily and Paige felt him drift of to sleep. She resolved in that moment to make sure Piper would live, not only for her but for the family, she knew they wouldn't cope with losing her.  
  
She orbed upstairs and lay Wyatt down on his bed for the moment as she packed a small overnight bag for him and his sister, and phoned Darryl at the same time. She focused on the task in hand completely, not wanting to think about Piper or what was happening at the hospital until she knew that the children were safe. When she was finished she put the bag over her shoulder, scooped Melinda up in one arm and Wyatt in the other, before orbing the three of them and the bag out.  
  
She orbed into Darryl's living room and handed the children over to Shelia before quickly orbing out again; solely focused on Piper now there was nothing left to do.  
  
She expected some sort of hysteria when she orbed in. She expected screams, tears, even Waterfalls or just for Piper to look different; just something. What she saw and what was there was essentially exactly what she'd left earlier. All that had changed was the atmosphere. The pain was vivid and a sort of emptiness had settled. Paige couldn't help but get the impression that Phoebe and Leo had decided that Piper would die; to her it felt like they had just given up. Paige moved to sit next to Phoebe and she noticed that Leo was more engrossed in Piper than ever before; he was absorbing every last essence of her that he could, clinging to her whilst he still could.  
  
Paige had barely taken this all in when the door to the room opened and Dr.Miles returned. She paused for a moment, organizing her jumble of thoughts before opening her mouth to tell the news that she both knew she must, and wished she didn't have to, say. She'd let the family have time to adjust now she had to do this, before what little time they had left ran out.  
  
"There is a way that we can help Piper fight this as much as possible" She carried on as if she'd never left off. Paige and Phoebe slowly looked up at her-registering acknowledgement and interest as well as willing her to continue. Gradually Leo ripped his eyes away from Piper but tightened his grip on her hand as he did so. He too looked at Dr.Miles and she continued to talk.  
  
"It's becoming more and more obvious that a lot of the nutrients we are giving Piper are going straight to the baby. Piper needs everything we are giving her to survive. There's no point skirting around the issue so, in order for her to get them, we need to deliver the baby."  
  
"What! You can't. She's only 7 months along. The baby won't survive!" Phoebe was outraged.  
  
"She can. With the right care babies can survive out of the mother's womb after only 6 months of pregnancy and this hospital has one of the best maternity departments in the country."  
  
"But...but, how would you do it?" Paige asked  
  
"A c-section."  
  
"But will Piper survive. You said she's weak how will she recover?"  
  
"If we don't do this the both Piper and the baby will die, it's only a matter of time."  
  
"You didn't answer the question" Leo's voice was low.  
  
"That's because I don't know the answer. I'm not going to lie to you, there's a chance that Piper won't be able to fight this and you need to be prepared for that. But that's not what this decision is about. What it is about is that if the baby stays inside Piper for much longer then Piper is only going to get weaker and any chance of saving the baby will be gone. By delivering now, you are giving them both a chance to survive."  
  
Paige, Phoebe and Leo sat and thought for a long time. If they did this then Piper could die, but her baby could live. If they didn't then they would both die. All three of them exchanged looks and knew exactly what their decision was, as much as it hurt them to say it.  
  
"Do it. Deliver the baby." Phoebe said resignedly.  
  
"Do you all agree?" Dr.Miles asked and Paige and Leo slowly nodded their heads. "Okay. I have Delivery on standby I'll let them know to go ahead and it'll be done as soon as possible." She cast one look at the broken family before moving out of the door.  
  
Leo felt so exhausted. The Elders had been calling him for the last half an hour, and for the last half an hour he'd managed to block them out. He needed that time to deal. But know the call changed. They said it was about Piper. No way could he ignore that.  
  
"The Elders. They say it's about Piper" He told Phoebe and Paige. He orbed out so completely focused that he was almost in a trance. Finally he had the chance of doing something to help save his wife, and whatever it was he would grab it with both hands.  
  
A/N: Paige referred to Darryl as Uncle Darryl to Wyatt in the way that kids call their Parent's friends Auntie and Uncle incase anyone got confused, which they probably weren't and I'm just being paranoid.  
  
Please review it makes me happy and a happy me rights more which hopefully means a happy you! It's win-win really.... 


	22. Life or Death

A/N: Thanks to orbing Punk, Piperleo4eva, sci fi fan, Piperhalliwell025, line100, Anarra and Piper15 for reviewing the last chapter. I know this update wasn't at all fast enough and I am so so so sorry for that. I haven't even finished writing it yet so I'm just hoping that I can do the end now!  
  
**Chapter 22**  
  
Leo orbed 'Up There' and found himself in front of the Council of Elders. To say he was angry at them would be a gross understatement; as far as it seemed to him, they were perfectly willing to let his wife, and possibly even his new baby, die. What he felt towards them couldn't even be put into words.  
  
"What?" All civility he ever had for them was gone. The only reason he was there was because of Piper, and they knew it. He didn't see the point in pleasantries just then. His face and his mind were a jumble. He felt such complete devastation that it was hard for him to keep a handle on anything. He wanted to show the Elders exactly how he felt, to try and make them understand. But he knew that the Elders didn't 'do' emotions. For that, he didn't want to give them whatever sick satisfaction they got from seeing im get hurt.  
  
The Elders spoke as one voice, a single entity. If one began to talk, another would easily carry on, and another from that. Despite this, or, perhaps, because of it, what they said flowed easily.  
  
"Piper Halliwell. Witch. Charmed One. Mother. Sister...Wife. She will die tonight. She will die. Her baby will live. It will grow strong, healthy and powerful. But it will grow motherless. Unless you intervene. Leo Wyatt. Whitelighter. Father. Brother-in-law... Husband. Save her. Save your wife. Save your children's mother. Save your charge. Save the Charmed one. You save her and she will live."  
  
Leo couldn't believe what he was hearing. He'd wished for them to say this everyday since Piper was first injured. At last they'd seen sense and Leo felt hope. He began to orb away but he felt a pulling. It was strong almost to the point of being overwhelming. Soon the orbs stopped and he had not moved anywhere. Then realization dawned: He couldn't orb. He didn't understand, if he couldn't orb then how could he get to Piper? If he couldn't get to Piper how could he heal and save her?  
  
"Don't try orbing Leo. It won't work. We will send you were you need to be. When the time is right, we will send you. "  
  
Paige and Phoebe stood anxiously outside the operating theatre. Piper was being prepped for surgery and each sister was trying to deal with it as best they could. They both expected Leo to be back by now and couldn't understand why he wasn't. But there was nothing that either of them could do about it now. They had to trust that he was safe and doing all he could to save Piper. They knew he wouldn't let her go without a fight.  
  
Time passed unnoticed to Phoebe and Paige. They remained outside the operating theatre, moving only to walk back and forth in front of the gray operating doors, thinking solely of their sister. The double doors burst open. Paige jumped up from where she'd been sitting on the floor, she moved towards Phoebe, who was somewhere between startled and worried out of her mind. A tiny bundle in a small glass tank was surrounded by three medical staff. One pushed the cot, another held a drip and ran along on one side, the third pushed a small monitor and ran along the other side. They moved as fast as they could without being a danger and didn't cast even a glance at the two sisters who clung to each other in the doorway.  
  
"Phoebe why...why wasn't it making a noise?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"The baby. It wasn't crying then and we've been here all the time and it cry before. Babies cry when they're born why..."  
  
"I...I don't know"  
  
The doors were still swinging and they caught a glance inside. In each of their heads and hearts something screamed at them to go inside the room. The stepped inside the room and such commotion filled the space that they went unnoticed.  
  
Piper lay on a trolley in the center of the room about seven doctors and nurses were focused on saving her. The blood was pouring out of a long horizontal slash across her stomach. It was everywhere, burning crimson into the eyes of all who were there. A nurse was fruitlessly trying to suction some of it away but the flow was relentless. The doctors were throwing anxious glances at screens dotted around the room, ordering more and more injections. Gradually the bleeding lessened before, finally, ceasing and a doctor stitched up the cut as a transfusion began. It was then that Paige and Phoebe, utterly overwhelmed by what they'd just witnessed, were noticed by a nurse.  
  
"You're not supposed to be in here" she told them kindly but firmly "Let me take you to the Relatives' room."  
  
Phoebe and Paige barely registered her presence. The beeping of Piper's monitor changed, dropping steadily before becoming a single steady tone that screamed in Paige's head, making her feel sick, causing tears to tumble down her face, and seared Phoebe's heart. The nurse was called over to Piper and once again Phoebe and Paige were unnoticed and transfixed on their sister; their dying sister.  
  
The doctors pushed more fluids into Piper, the nurses performed CPR. But nothing worked. The same nurse that had been talking to them earlier flew to a corner of the room and brought over the paddles.  
  
"Ready, charging, clear shocking!"  
  
It was drilled over and over and Piper's body lurched upwards time after time. But the line remained flat, absolutely nothing would make it rise and fall again. The doctors could see no more options, they knew what they had to do and it pained them to do so. This woman had just had a baby; they knew she had another two at home and a family that loved her. This sort of thing shouldn't have to happen.  
  
"All agreed?" The main doctor asked his team. They all nodded wearily "Time of death 23:17"  
  
Upon hearing those words Phoebe and Paige couldn't keep it together anymore; they cried and shook and grieved. Holding onto each other in the center of the room they felt more pain than either thought possible. It wasn't that Phoebe and felt pain when Prue died but piper was...different for her. Piper looked after her when Prue died; she was always there for her. Piper to Phoebe was what Prue had been to Piper.  
  
'Up There' Leo was growing increasingly agitated. He could feel what had happened and it was all he could do not to break down right there. He glared at The Elders.  
  
"Are you happy now? She's gone and you let her! How could you let her" What he expressed to them was only a tiny proportion of what he was feeling. He couldn't understand why they weren't letting him do anything. They said that they would but they weren't. Slowly and utterly spontaneously he felt the familiar slightly giddy feeling that accompanied orbing, fill every part of his body and he saw the Council of Elders fade away.  
  
When her rematerialized he knew exactly where he was. It was the same place he'd saved Piper's life before when she had Oroya fever almost seven years ago. Like that time, Piper's spirit moved towards him and he desperately wanted to hug her and tell her that it was all okay. But he couldn't, he didn't have the time.  
  
She saw him and knew exactly what was going on. She wanted to talk, but didn't know what to say. Instead she put out her hands to his and he placed his on top of hers. A golden glow emitted from hiss palms and not a word was spoken; there was no need.  
  
"I Love you" He told her as his hands stopped their glow and her spirit began to descend back to her body.  
  
"I Love you...." Her voice lingered with him as her spirit moved out of his sight.  
"...Leo" her voice was cracked and dry but that didn't matter. What mattered was that she'd said anything at all.  
  
"Piper!" Phoebe couldn't believe it. She was sure that her sister had just spoken. "Oh my god Piper!!!" She was still crying but a different emotion was behind the tears now. Dragging a bewildered Paige with her, Phoebe rushed to her sister, startling the doctors.  
  
The machine began a steady beeping again and Phoebe and Paige hugged their sister even though she remained lying down, as the doctors were astounded. Piper was exhausted. She could barely think but she was happy. She was alive and she was happy. I didn't take long for realization to dawn, however and she knew something was wrong. She had a horrible feeling what it was and ran her hand across her stomach terrified at the conformation it brought her.  
  
"Where's my baby?"  
  
**A/N:** I need your help for the next part. Mainly because I don't really have a clue what's going to happen! I can't see their being many more chapters to be honest because I don't think that Piper can survive much more. However I also thought this at around chapter 14 and 8 chapters later I'm still writing so I can be persuaded to think otherwise!  
  
Also about the baby: girl or boy? I'd always written it with the intention of it being a girl but I started this story before I'd seen any of series 6 so I'd totally understand if you want a boy. Just please let me know.  
  
If you're reading Diaries I'm working on an update but I have writer's block with that fic at the moment  
  
Also I posted a new story called 'Life Without You' it's a Piper/Leo AU and I'd be really really grateful if you read and reviewed it if you haven't already done so.  
  
But first please review this and don't forget to say girl or boy and if you have any ideas of what should happen next.  
  
Thanks a million!!!!


	23. Welcome

A/N: Thanks to Psychokitty3, Piperleo4eva, Pipery03, Anarra, p3charmed4eva, Versatile cutie, orbingpunk, line 100, Sci fi fan, onetreehill4eva, cool charmed chic, Lauzzy, Chris fan and Piper15 for reviewing the last chapter. That is the most reviews I've gotten for a single update ever so thank you all so much for that. And all the input into plot lines and what you thought about the baby were really helpful. Sorry for the long wait but I'm going on holiday on Friday and it was my birthday on Monday so I've been really busy. Because I'm going on holiday it means no updates for about 2 weeks but the good news is that for the first time since I started this fic I actually know where it's going so that means I know exactly what to write when I'm away so I'll have some updates ready for when I get back.  
  
In the meantime I hope you enjoy this.  
  
**Chapter 23**  
  
Before anyone had the chance to answer Piper, the double doors burst open.  
  
"Piper" Leo's voice was tinged with panic and filled with concern as he rushed into the room and over to his wife.  
  
"Leo" She called to him and he reached down as the two embraced. "Thank you for saving me" She spoke softly and directly into his ear so only he could hear the words.  
  
Her whisper sent tingles through him. She was alive and she was talking to him. He'd never loved her before as much as he did then. They moved out of their embrace, kissing tenderly as their faces moved past one another. They both felt the love that coursed through them, filling them and giving them a reason to just...be. They were too aware of how close she'd been to never being here again and they were so grateful that they were just able to hold each other.  
  
Leo stood up and it was only then that he realized there were other people in the room; Doctors, nurses, her sisters and they all looked uncomfortable.  
  
"Where's my baby?" Piper was starting to panic. True, she was exhausted but she wasn't stupid. She knew there was something they weren't telling her.  
  
"Piper...we...they..." Phoebe glanced at Paige; she coughed and looked nervous, mixed with total sorrow.  
  
"Mrs. Halliwell?" The double doors burst open again. This time a doctor came walking into the room she nodded and he moved closer to her bed. Paige, Phoebe and Leo made a gap for him to stand so they, along with Piper's bed, made a sort of circle.  
"I'm Doctor Given, the pediatrician for this hospital. I've been looking after your baby, your daughter" he added with a smile.  
  
"Is she alright?" Leo asked a worried frown creasing his brow.  
  
"She's stable. Because she was so early she's in the baby ICU in an incubator and we envisage her remaining in one for a couple of weeks."  
  
"Why, you said she was stable?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"She is but she's having a little difficulty breathing on her own."  
  
"Can we see her?" Piper was anxious to see her baby.  
  
Doctor Given exchanged a look with Piper's doctor before nodding his head.  
"Of course. But only the two of you." He motioned at piper and Leo. "You can watch through the glass if you'd like?" He asked Phoebe and Paige who nodded eagerly.  
  
A nurse brought a wheel chair over and lowered the bar on one side of Piper's bed and she, with Leo's help, sat in the chair and Leo pushed her out of the room, with Phoebe and Paige close behind and all of them following Dr. Given.  
  
In the hospital room that they'd just exited, some very confused Doctors and nurses were left behind.  
  
"But how..."  
  
"She was dead and now..."  
  
"Now she's not. All her stats show her as being perfectly healthy."  
  
"All she is is a little tired."  
  
"But how..."  
  
None of them understood what was going on. They were all thinking the same thing though: 'it's a miracle', but they'd worked in the medical profession for long enough to know there was no such thing as a miracle, that didn't stop them wondering though. The sisters and Leo knew exactly what they'd left behind in the operating theatre. They also knew that they'd have a lot of explaining to do soon but they didn't want to think about that now. Now was for the newest edition to the family, they just hoped that the rest would sort itself out later.  
  
They'd gone up a few floors in the lift (elevator) and along a few corridors. The numbers weren't important. What mattered is that they were going to see their daughter and their niece. Dr. Given slowed down in front of a single door and pointed Phoebe and Paige to the left of it and motioned Piper and Leo through it.  
  
The room was dimly lit and quiet. There were only two babies inside; one in a small hospital blue bonnet and a smaller one in a tiny pink bonnet. Leo needed no direction from the doctor; he knew where to go and pushed Piper over to their daughter.  
  
"Hi there" She whispered lightly and gently put her hand through one of the holes on the side of the tank and brushing a finger down her baby's hand. It hurt both Piper and Leo to see their baby in the incubator, knowing they couldn't hold her and seeing tubes sticking out of her tiny body, but they love they felt for her in that moment eclipsed everything else and they just stared in wonder at the being they had created. Piper leant back on Leo, who stood behind her, both of them wearing matching expressions not at all dissimilar to those on Phoebe and Paige's faces as they gazed through the wall sized window at their new niece.  
  
"So, does she have a name yet?" Dr. Given asked.  
  
Piper and Leo glanced at each other and she nodded her head, allowing him to tell the doctor. They had talked about this back when life was relatively normal and had quickly decided on a name if the baby would be a girl.  
  
"Charlotte Patricia Halliwell" Leo said as he looked at his new daughter as she slept innocently and he felt now more than ever a desire to protect his family and get them out of the hell they'd been in for the last few weeks. But he felt with a sickening degree of knowledge that it was going to be anything but easy.  
  
A/N: the baby's a girl simply because a lot more people chose a girl than did a boy (I think it was something like 11 to 3) and although I loved all the names you suggested I had kind of already picked one out and had the hardest trouble in trying to let it go, but I couldn't so that's the name she got. I hope you all liked this, **please review** and I'll write over my holiday and update when I get back. I know the timing pretty much sucks but there's nothing I could do...I mean I could beg my parents to change the hotel and the flights and everything but I don't think they'd be too receptive to the idea. :D 


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